Editor's note: In an interview with China Daily, State Councilor Yang Jiechi looks ahead to President Xi Jinping's landmark state visit to the US this month and his attendance at a series of UN gatherings as the global body marks its 70th anniversary.

This will be the first state visit to the United States by President Xi Jinping since he took office. What will be the major issues topping his agenda?

Yang: First of all, let me say that the China-US relationship has, on the whole, gained sound momentum of growth, and the two presidents have stayed in frequent contact with each other, either through meetings or by correspondence. There has been a host of practical cooperation between the two sides on global issues, like climate change.