Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush Tuesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, calling for closer cooperation between China and the United States.

Xi took time during the meeting to applaud Bush's attention to, and efforts in, the development of China-U.S. relations.

"Despite ups and downs, the general relationship between China and the United States has been pushing ahead over the past 40 years," Xi said, adding that bilateral ties have become the most important in the world.

(Source: Xinhua)