2023-07-08 17:45:18
By Andrea Shalal
BEIJING (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Saturday called for closer communication between China and the United States to improve economic decision-making, and challenged China to join global initiatives to help the poorest countries to deal with climate change.
Despite bilateral tensions, the record trade between the US and China last year showed that there is “ample space” to engage in trade and investment, and that it is critical to focus on areas of common interest and resolve disagreements through dialogue, he said. Yellen to Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the start of a meeting.
The talks lasted about five hours and were followed by dinner, according to a Treasury Department official.
Chinese state media described the meeting as “deep, sincere and pragmatic”.
While the talks were “constructive”, the Chinese side expressed concern about US sanctions and restrictive measures against China, according to state news agency Xinhua.
China also believes that generalizing the concept of national security is not good for normal economic and trade exchanges, Xinhua reported.
Yellen’s visit, which will run through Sunday, is Washington’s latest attempt to mend ties between the world’s two biggest economies, strained by issues ranging from Taiwan to technology], having an impact on business and trade ties.
Like U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited last month for the first time under Joe Biden, Yellen is striking a delicate balance between conciliation and continuing to press Beijing to stop practices Washington says are harmful to North American businesses. -American and western.
Both sides played down expectations of breakthroughs, while praising the opportunity for face-to-face diplomacy.
“Amidst a complicated global economic outlook, there is a pressing need for the two major economies to communicate and exchange views on our responses to various challenges,” Yellen told He.
Doing so can “help both sides better understand the global economic outlook and make better decisions to strengthen our economies,” she said.
At the same time, Yellen reiterated that Washington wanted to ensure healthy competition with a “fair set of rules” that would benefit both countries over time.
Meeting her at the guest house in Diaoyutai State, where foreign dignitaries are often received, He said he was ready to work with Yellen.
(Additional reporting by Ryan Woo)
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