The FINANCIAL -- BEIJING, Beijing is sure that the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to China in mid-November will strengthen relations between the two countries, a Chinese deputy foreign minister said on November 6.

Obama will pay his first visit to China as U.S. president between November 15 and 18, beginning his trip in Shanghai before moving on to the capital, Beijing.

"Barack Obama's visit to China... has great significance for the new stage of development of relations between the two countries," He Yafei told a news conference.

The high-ranking diplomat said that previous meetings between the Chinese and American presidents had laid the foundation for this new stage of relations.

"We hope that the forthcoming visit will help to confirm the previously reached agreements and to give them a strategic aspect that will constantly serve the cause of the promotion of relations in various spheres," he said.

The U.S. and China have been recently involved in mutual punitive actions for allegedly unfair practices in the sphere of trade and Yafei added that bilateral trade issues would be also discussed during Obama's visit.

Related Stories

• Afghanistan: Pessimism and Criticism of President Both Increase
• Number of China's millionaires grows despite global recession
• 20-year-old South Korean model found dead in Paris apartment