BEIJING -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli met with Brian Deese, senior advisor to US President Barack Obama, in Beijing on Tuesday, agreeing to cooperate more closely to address climate change.

President Xi will pay a state visit to the United States this month, Zhang said, urging joint efforts from both sides to maintain the sound momentum of dialogue and enhance cooperation on climate change.

Deese told Zhang that President Obama looks forward to President Xi's state visit and hopes both sides will cement dialogue and cooperation on climate change to jointly promote low-carbon growth.

Zhang said climate change is a severe challenge for the whole world, adding that the China-US joint statement on climate change issued last November has contributed to a new type of major-country relations as well as the multilateral process on climate change.

The China-US joint statement on climate change outlined the two countries' goals and efforts to tackle climate change in the next 15 years.

"Climate change is of high importance to China, and we hope to work with other parties including the United States to build a fair, reasonable and win-win global climate governance system based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, equity and respective capabilities," Zhang said.