WASHINGTON — China's Vice-President Xi Jinping began his five-day US visit with a special gathering on Monday evening with heavyweight former US politicians devoted to China-US ties.

Offering high praise to the special guests for their important achievements in promoting the development of the China-US relationship, Xi said he would "raise a lot of questions and hope to get early inspirations" from them on the visit.

The special guests included former US secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright, former US secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson, former assistants for National Security Affairs Brent Scowcroft, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Samuel Berger, and former US secretary of Labor Elaine Chao.

Xi said that China is willing to work with the United States to push forward their cooperative partnership, enhance mutual understanding and strategic trust, adding that his visit aims to promote practical cooperation between China and the US, to benefit the people of the two nations.

It also aims to promote the implementation of important consensus reached by President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama, and the China-US cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, Xi said.