China's Xi meets US treasury secretary in Beijing

BEIJING (AP) -- China's leader Xi Jinping held his first meeting Tuesday with a foreign official since being appointed president, conferring with U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew as the two nations re-engaged following a months-long hiatus during the Chinese leadership transition.

Lew was expected to bring up issues including North Korea's nuclear program, Asian Pacific security and allegations of Chinese government-sponsored cyberspying during his two-day visit. Lew also is expected to meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Li and Xi were formally appointed to their government positions during the past week.

Lew's visit underscores the importance of the China-U.S. relationship, and marks the highest-level interaction between the two sides since former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Pannetta's brief trip in late September.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also plans to visit Beijing next month.