On September 27, 2012, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States.

Yang said that a good and stable China-U.S. relationship which keeps moving forward serves the fundamental interests of the two countries, and is conducive to peace, stability and development of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large. "The two sides should keep the momentum of dialogue and cooperation, continue to enhance exchanges at top and other levels, fully tap cooperation potentials and work hard to expand common interests," Yang said, adding both sides should prudently handle sensitive issues and effectively manage their differences. "China is willing to join the U.S. to implement important agreements reached by the top leaders of the two countries, promote the building of the China-U.S. cooperative partnership in order to explore a new type of relations between major powers."

Clinton, for her part, said that the United States attaches great importance to the cooperative relations with China. Cooperation between the two countries in all areas has brought tremendous interests for both sides, she said, adding various dialogue and cooperation mechanisms fully reflect the depth and width of the bilateral ties. The development of U.S.-China relations matters the world's future in the 21st century. Under the international conditions where uncertainty and challenges have increased, it is of particular importance to develop the relations between China and the United States, Clinton noted. The United States supports China's fast development, and is willing to enhance exchanges at various levels according to the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen coordination with China in regional and international affairs and push forward bilateral ties, she said.

During their meeting, Yang explained China's solemn position on the Diaoyu Islands issue. He pointed out that the Japanese government's decision of "purchasing the islands" seriously infringed upon China's territorial sovereignty, to which China is firmly opposed. The Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islets have been China's inherent territory since ancient times. Any unilateral action adopted by the Japanese side is illegal and invalid. Japan must abandon any illusion, face up to reality and correct its mistakes with credible steps, he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.