In a departure from convention, Chinese leader Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the United States on Independence Day.

“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States. President Xi Jinping, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, has already sent a congratulatory message to US President Trump,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing on Monday.

Beijing does not usually publicise presidential greetings on July 4 but Xi’s message this year follows a flurry of diplomatic efforts to stabilise the volatile relations between the two countries.

Noting the milestone anniversary at a summit in Beijing in May, Xi told Trump that the “common interests between China and the United States are bigger than our differences”.During the talks, Xi stressed the importance of cooperation over confrontation, urging both nations to transcend the “Thucydides Trap” and establish a steady path for major-country relations.