Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 27, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beijing and Washington have kept up communication on the Korean nuclear issue, President Xi Jinping told US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday.

"Generally speaking, the China-US relationship has been smooth and on the way up in the past year," Xi told Kerry at the start of their meeting at the Great Hall of the People.

"Our two countries have been in timely communication on international and regional issues, such as the Iranian nuclear issue, the Korean nuclear issue, Afghanistan and so on," Xi said.

"When China and the United States work together, we can make good things happen with win-win results for both sides and that contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the world."

Kerry arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, with the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula top on his agenda.

His three-stop Asia trip earlier took him to Laos and Cambodia.