Business leaders, former officials hold dialogue on China-US economic ties

BEIJING - The 10th dialogue between business leaders and former senior officials from China and the United States closed Wednesday, with attendees having candid exchanges on economic and trade ties between the two countries.

Topics discussed during the two-day meetings included China-US trade friction and policy trends, cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, the digital economy, energy, agriculture and industry.

China-US economic relations are standing at a historic moment, Chinese representatives said, noting that equal and mutually beneficial economic ties were the "ballast stone" of relations between the two countries.

Dialogue and consultation are the only solution to economic and trade problems, while the "zero-sum game," "Cold War mindset" and unilateralism would not work, they said.

China is solving problems in intellectual property rights, market access and the business environment through deepened reform and wider opening, they said.

US representatives said the economic and trade cooperation between the two sides was highly complementary and trade protectionism such as high tariffs would not benefit economic and trade relations.

Both sides should take an active and pragmatic approach and properly solve the current problems, the US representatives said, adding that the US business community would continue to promote trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

The dialogue, held by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges and the US Chamber of Commerce, aims to promote consensus, strengthen strategic mutual trust, and facilitate healthy, stable and sustainable China-US relations.