Guo Weimin, spokesman of the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 2, 2019. The CPPCC National Committee held a press conference on Saturday afternoon, one day ahead of its annual session. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The positive progress in the latest round of China-U.S. economic and trade consultations is welcome, a spokesperson for the national political advisory body said Saturday.

Reaching a mutually beneficial agreement as soon as possible will not only benefit both countries, but also be good news for the world economy, Guo Weimin, spokesperson for the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said at a press conference.

The latest round of consultations in Washington was held under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the presidents of the two countries during their Argentina meeting, and both sides have focused on issues of mutual concern, Guo said.

"Substantial progress has been made on such specific issues as technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights, non-tariff barriers, service industry, agriculture and exchange rates," he added.

Both sides have vowed to enhance communication following the principle and direction set by the two heads of state and continue their work for the next stage, Guo said.

Common interests between the two sides far outweigh their differences, and the demand for cooperation far outweighs frictions. "Cooperation is the best choice for both sides," he added.

"Maintaining the healthy development of China-U.S. relations is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, meets the common expectation of the international community, and needs the joint efforts from both sides," Guo said.

The two sides should expand cooperation, manage and control differences, promote bilateral relations based on coordination, cooperation and stability, further benefiting both countries and the rest of the world, he said.