Premier Li Qiang: China and the U.S. should be partners rather than adversaries

Chinese Premier Li Qiang told U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Sunday in Beijing that the two countries should be partners rather than adversaries.

It is hoped that the U.S. will abide by the basic norms of market economy including fair competition and open cooperation, refrain from turning economic and trade issues into political or security issues, and view the issue of production capacity objectively from a market-oriented and global perspective, Li said.

Yellen is on a visit to China from April 4 to 9. She held several rounds of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Friday and Saturday in Guangzhou, south China.

Noting that the China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Li told Yellen that China hopes the two countries will be partners with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

The premier expressed hope that the U.S. will work with China to continue implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and translate the San Francisco vision into reality.

As the world's two largest economies, China and the U.S. have deeply intertwined economic interests, Li said, adding that strengthening economic and trade cooperation is of great significance to each other's development and global economic growth.

He said the two sides should strengthen communication to jointly find ways to manage and resolve differences, so as to make China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation stable, smooth and efficient, create more benefits for the enterprises and people of the two countries, and contribute to the global economic development and improvement of people's livelihoods.

China is willing to strengthen policy coordination with the U.S. on climate change and other issues to jointly address global challenges, he added.

The development of China's new energy industry will make important contributions to the global green and low-carbon transition, Li added.

Yellen said that thanks to joint efforts, the U.S.-China relationship has become more stable, noting that as the world's two largest economies, the U.S. and China should manage their bilateral economic relationship responsibly.

She told Li that the U.S. appreciates the progress made in U.S.-China economic dialogue and cooperation and that her country does not seek "decoupling" from China.

The U.S. stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two presidents in San Francisco, communicate candidly, avoid misunderstandings, deepen exchanges and cooperation, properly manage differences, jointly cope with pressing global challenges and promote the steady development of bilateral relations, she said.

(With input from Xinhua)