'Destiny of mankind' impacted by China-US ties, says Xi

President Xi Jinping said China-US ties would impact the "destiny of mankind," as he met with a group of American senators in Beijing yesterday.

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer is the latest high-level American official to visit China amid tensions between the two countries, leading a six-person delegation.

"How China and the United States get along with each other in the face of a world of change and turmoil will determine the future and destiny of mankind," Xi said during the meeting with Schumer at the Great Hall of the People.

"We have 1,000 reasons to improve China-US relations, but not one reason to ruin them," he added, describing China-US ties as "the most important bilateral relationship in the world."

Schumer, in turn, told Xi that "our countries, together, will shape this century."

Earlier, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said he hoped Washington and Beijing could manage their differences "more rationally."

Foreign minister Wang felt that the visit would help the "relationship between the two countries return to the track of healthy development."

"The crisis in Ukraine has not yet subsided, and warfare has reemerged in the Middle East," said Wang, adding "China and the United States should play their due roles."

Schumer said "a level playing field for American business and workers" was the "number one goal."

"Holding accountable China-based companies supplying deadly chemicals fueling the fentanyl crisis in America" was another objective, as was "ensuring China does not support Russia's immoral war against Ukraine," he added.

"Advancing human rights" was an additional priority, Schumer said.

But Schumer said he was "very disappointed" by a Sunday statement from Beijing on the escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinians.

Beijing called for all sides to show "calm" and "cease fire immediately," without explicitly condemning the Palestinian attack that has left hundreds in Israel dead.