Chinese companies have purchased 20 million metric tons of soybeans from the United States so far this year, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday.

China has also bought 700,000 tons of pork, 700,000 tons of sorghum, 230,000 tons of wheat and 320,000 tons of cotton from the US, he said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

According to Geng, these US agricultural products were purchased by Chinese firms in accordance with market principles in order to meet domestic market demand.

China will speed up its purchases of US agricultural products in the future, he said.

Geng also said China and the US hold the same position on reaching a trade deal when asked about the preliminary agreement reached between the two countries in the latest trade consultations which concluded on Friday.

He confirmed the two sides have already reached the "substantial phase-one deal" referred to by the US side.

He noted the deal bears great significance.

"It will benefit China, the US and the whole world. It is also beneficial to trade and peace," he said, noting China and the US hold the same position on reaching an agreement without differences," he said.