US hopes key talks will mend strained ties

BEIJING - The United States is banking on a key bilateral dialogue mechanism, which is scheduled to be held late May, to improve strained ties, Washington's top envoy to Beijing said on Tuesday.

"The US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue gives the United States and China a perfect opportunity to sit down and again to find our shared interests. It's a very important time for the US-China relationship," the US ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, told reporters during a visit to Tianjin, the fifth largest trading partner of the US within the country.

"We'll take advantage of that," he added.