China said talks on Thursday between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama were constructive, even as the two sides remained far apart on the South China Sea and U.S. missile defense plans for South Korea.
Meeting on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in Washington, Xi and Obama agreed to step up cooperation to ensure nuclear security worldwide and to do more on cyber security. They also agreed to continue to work on a bilateral investment treaty, China's assistant foreign minister, Zheng Zeguang, told a news briefing.
But Zheng made clear that China and the United States remained at odds over the contested South China Sea, where Beijing's broad territorial claims have riled its neighbors, and over U.S. missile defense plans following North Korea's recent nuclear and rocket tests.
