A senior US government official emphasized the importance of a productive bilateral relationship with China, just ahead of President Xi Jinping's arrival for a state visit.

"You can be sure that our relationship with China, one that is stable, productive, and resilient, will remain at the center of American foreign policy for years to come," Susan Rice, the US national security advisor, told students and faculty at George Washington University in a speech on US-China relations on Monday.

Rice, who was in Beijing in late August to prepare for Xi's trip, reiterated President Barack Obama's personal commitment to advancing the bilateral relationship while candidly addressing differences.

She said President Obama and President Xi have spent many hours meeting in formal and informal settings and on the phone "because many global challenges today can only be met with China and the United States working in concert."

"It can be easy to lose sight of the larger arc of progress in our bilateral relationship with China amid the headlines that understandably focus on the differences between our countries," she said, clearly referring to the daily headlines about cyber security, the South China Sea and China-bashing rhetoric by certain Republican presidential candidates.

Rice reiterated that pursuing a productive relationship with China is a critical element of the US' larger strategy for the Asia Pacific, citing that Obama has often said that the US welcomes a rising China that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, and a responsible player in global affairs.

"It's natural that China takes on greater leadership to match its economic development and growing capabilities," she said.

"When China is invested in helping resolve regional and global problems, the United States - and the world - benefits," she said.

The US drew sharp criticism around the world earlier this year when it opposed the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, an initiative led by China and seen by many as a reflection of a China playing a bigger and more responsible role.

Rice said that under Obama's leadership, the US has deepened its engagement with China at every level - maximizing cooperation in areas of mutual interest while confronting and managing disagreements.

She said the two countries have been working together on shared security, such as confidence building between the two militaries, non-proliferation, reconstruction in Afghanistan, climate change and fighting Ebola in West Africa.

"This is a vital relationship of the 21st century, and we have to be up front about our differences, because they are preventing us from reaching the full potential of our cooperation," Rice said.

chenweihua@chinadailyussa.com