China, US agree cooperation the way forward

Chinese and US officials agreed that the two countries should settle their trade disputes through cooperation rather than confrontation.

Liu He, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the General Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs, wrapped up his visit to the United States on March 3.

During his visit, which started on Feb 27 at the invitation of the US government, Liu met US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and US Trade Representative Bob Lighthizer to discuss bilateral economic and trade cooperation and other key issues of mutual concerns, according to a press release from China’s Foreign Ministry.

Liu, who is also the head of the Chinese side in the China-US Comprehensive Economic Dialogue expressed that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have maintained close communications this year through phone calls and letters, pointing the way forward for China-US relations.

He said the two sides should make concerted efforts to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, expand practical economic and trade cooperation, strive to settle thorny issues, promote a balanced development of bilateral economic and trade relations in order to bring more benefit to the peoples of the two nations.

Liu expressed that China will further push forward its comprehensive reform and opening up, and China and the US, with their complementary economies, have huge potential for cooperation. “A stable economic and trade relationship between China and the United States conform to the fundamental interests of the two countries as well as the development and prosperity of the global economy,” Liu was quoted as saying in the press release.

During his meetings with senior US officials, Liu elaborated China's stance on a number of issues such as trade balance and market access.

The Foreign Ministry described the talks as “candid and constructive”, and said the two sides agreed that cooperation, rather than confrontation, should be the way forward to solving their economic and trade frictions in order to maintain a healthy development of the relationship.

The two sides agreed to continue their talks on related issues in Beijing in the near future to pave the way for further cooperation. They also agreed that Liu’s visit helps promote mutual understanding and cooperation.

During his visit, Liu also met US business leaders, experts and scholars, and leaders of relevant international organizations.

Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com.