Chinese premier meets U.S. commerce secretary, calling for enhanced cooperation

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with visiting U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Tuesday in Beijing, calling on both sides to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation.

Li said the economic and trade relations between China and the United States are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature. Politicizing economic and trade issues and overstretching the concept of security will not only seriously affect bilateral relations and mutual trust, but also undermine the interests of enterprises and people of the two countries, and will have a disastrous impact on the global economy.

Noting that China is the largest developing country and the United States is the largest developed country, Li said the two sides should strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, reduce friction and confrontation, and jointly promote world economic recovery and cope with global challenges.

Li said a sound and stable China-U.S. relationship benefits both countries and the world, and China is glad to see that the United States has recently repeatedly said it is committed to returning to the agenda set by the two heads of state in Bali.

"Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the right ways for China and the United States to get along. We hope that the U.S. side will work with China to take more practical and beneficial actions to maintain and develop bilateral relations," he added.

Li said China is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the United States on the economy and trade, and to promote the sound development of bilateral economic and trade relations. He said he hopes that the United States will work with China in the same direction.

China is actively advancing its high-level opening-up and making efforts to provide a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework, Li said. The country is also working to ease market access further, treat foreign companies in the same manner as domestic firms, and safeguard and promote fair competition, he said, adding that China will only open its doors even wider to the outside world.

Raimondo said that the Biden administration supports China's economic development and its improvement of people's livelihoods, has no intention of containing China's development, does not seek to decouple from China, is willing to maintain communication and normal economic and trade relations, and is willing to promote the steady development of bilateral relations.

The U.S. side also stands ready to strengthen cooperation with China on artificial intelligence, climate change work, and combating fentanyl, Raimondo added.