Beijing open to steady, healthy Washington ties

Beijing is ready to work with Washington to promote the "steady, healthy and sustainable" growth of China-United States relations for the benefit of both countries and the world, a top Chinese envoy said after the new US administration took office on Monday.

Vice-President Han Zheng, a special representative of President Xi Jinping, attended US President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, which was moved inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, due to the extreme cold gripping much of the country.

Han was accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng. At previous US presidential inaugurations, China usually was represented only by its top Washington envoy.