China's top diplomat said Monday he hoped Washington and Beijing could manage their differences "more rationally" as he met with visiting senior American lawmakers.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is the latest high-level American official to go to China as Washington seeks to ease tensions with Beijing, leading a six-person team reportedly seeking a meeting with leader Xi Jinping.

Meeting with Schumer at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the senate delegation he hoped their visit would help the two sides "manage existing differences more rationally, helping the relationship between the two countries return to the track of healthy development."

He also said he hoped they would "more accurately understand China" after the trip, which comes as the world is in a "turbulent period of change."

"The crisis in Ukraine has not yet subsided, and warfare has reemerged in the Middle East," he said.

"All these various challenges need to be addressed by the international community, and China and the United States should play their due roles," Wang said.

Schumer, in turn, thanked the Chinese delegation for their hospitality, noting there were several issues of "great concern" he was seeking to raise during his visit.

He said "a level playing field for American business and workers" was his delegation's "number one goal."

with AFP