Xi, Obama to hold talks

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with his US counterpart Barack Obama later this month on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in the Netherlands, Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said on Monday.

The NSS will be held in The Hague from March 24 to 25.

The bilateral meeting, the first between the two presidents this year, is significant for the further development of the China-US relationship, Li said at a press briefing on Xi's upcoming overseas trip.

Li said the two leaders will exchange views on the China-US relationship and other issues of concern.

"The Chinese side will work with the US side to pursue positive outcomes at the NSS as well as the meeting between the two heads of state and instill new momentum in the push to build a new type of major-country relationship between China and the United States," said the official.

Besides his attendance at the NSS, Xi will also pay state visits to the Netherlands, France, Germany and Belgium, and will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the headquarters of the European Union during the trip.