President Barack Obama says he wants U.S.-China relations to be defined by more cooperation and better handling of disagreements.
A White House statement says the pledge was made during a phone call Monday between Mr. Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The statement said the two leaders also discussed shared regional and global challenges, including Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programs.
Mr. Obama said Iran must show its nuclear program is "exclusively peaceful." He called for greater U.S.-China cooperation in the ongoing Geneva talks.
He also stressed the need for "enhanced communication and coordination" with China to ensure North Korea meets its denuclearization commitments.
The phone call follows annual talks last week between top U.S. and Chinese leaders in Beijing, where the White House said "important progress" was made.