A senior Chinese official says that a new type of relationship will be forged between China and the U.S., and that Asia will be "the starting point" of this new endeavor. 

Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao told China state news agency Xinhua that there has been a "dramatic increase in engagement, competition, and gaming" by major world players in Asia.

Like Us on Facebook

He said that America's "rebalancing Asia" strategy has led to global concerns because some observers believe the U.S. is backing competing parties in South China Sea and East China Sea disputes.

The U.S. and China "have most of their common interests in Asia, where most of their contradictions and divergences also lie," said Liu.

Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, told Xinhua that a new type of relationship is possible because "cooperation comes with competition" and the countries have stakes in each other success. He added that the balancing Asia strategy will "be worthless in the long run."

In November, China and Japan reached an agreement on ties, a first step in thawing relations between the two historically opposing nations. Liu said the two sides will "give great care" to improving the momentum of the relationship and "restarting bilateral communication and cooperation in various fields step by step."

Chinese President Xi Jinping has held indepth discussions with President Barack Obama twice in the past two years, as the two nations reached agreement on several issues.

Liu also said that in regard to the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Road plans that China has initiated, the country "does not seek dominance in regional affairs or sphere of influence".

Some analysts at have likened the Chinese projects to the U.S.' Cold War era Marshall Plan, but Liu disagreed.  He said while the Marshall Plan imposed conditions on participating countries, China's initiatives do not interfere in the internal affairs of a country or region.

TagsU.S. China to Forge New Relationship Asia Will be Starting Point, dramatic increase in engagement, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao, Barrack Obama