Related: Bush's visit symbolic but still important

    BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- US President George W. Bush will kick off his three-day visit to China on Saturday evening aimed at easing differences and promoting Sino-US relations.

    This is Bush's third visit to China since 2001. During the visit, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao are expected to hold talks and meet with Bush, discussing a wide range of issues.

    "The two sides will have an in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations and major regional and international issues," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao Thursday.

    "We expect that Bush's visit, slated for Nov. 19 to 21, will increase consensus, step up mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation and promote Sino-US constructive and cooperative relations in the 21st century in an all-round way," Liu told a regular news briefing.

    China is the third leg of Bush's four-nation Asian tour. He visited Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) and attended the Nov. 18-19 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Busan. He will also visit Mongolia after his China tour.

    Bush described Sino-US relationship as a complex and important one. While the two countries have got increasing trade and dialogue and cooperation, there is still work to be done on intellectual property rights, currency and market access, said Bush in a round-table interview with Asian reporters at the White House prior to his Asian tour.

    But Bush acknowledged that the United States and China "do havegood cooperation" on trade, and can also work together in the war on terror, on advancing the Doha Round multilateral trade talks and in the areas of energy and fighting avian flu.   Enditem