Chinese commerce minister calls for normalized Sino-U.S. economic, trade ties

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese commerce minister has called for U.S. efforts to bring bilateral economic and trade ties back on the right track at an early date, according to a statement of the ministry on Friday.

The remarks were made on Thursday when Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with U.S.-China Business Council President Craig Allen via video link.

China and the United States have extensive common interests and space for cooperation, Wang said, adding that bilateral economic and trade cooperation is beneficial to the well-being of the two peoples and plays a pivotal role in global economic growth.

Wang pointed out that the U.S. government has defined China-U.S. relations by "strategic competition" and adopted a series of trade and investment restrictions and protectionist practices against China, which have harmed the interests of businesses and people of both countries.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stressed that China will unswervingly open wider to the outside world and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, Wang said.

He hoped that the U.S. side will correctly view the opportunities China's development brings to the United States and the world, saying that the modernization of China, with a population of more than 1.4 billion, means great opportunities for global companies, including U.S. firms.

"China is willing to listen to the views of foreign enterprises, including those from the United States, on a regular basis, and will continue to improve a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment," Wang said.

In his remarks, Allen hoped that the two sides will proceed from some specific issues to enhance communication and cooperation and boost mutual trust, saying that the council will continue to support the cooperation between Chinese and U.S. enterprises and nurture a favorable environment for pragmatic cooperation, according to the statement.