Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (Reuters)
During his meeting in Beijing with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang expressed his hope that their two countries would be "partners, not adversaries," adding that they must respect each other.
During the meeting, the Chinese official said that Chinese Internet users are closely following the US Secretary's visit, and that this interest shows "expectations and hope for an improvement in the relationship between China and the United States."
In turn, the American Secretary responded by emphasizing that the relationship between the two countries could only progress through direct and frank dialogue. She added that the two countries' ability to hold difficult talks had put the two economic superpowers on a "more stable footing" over the past year.
Janet Yellen continued, saying, "This does not mean ignoring our differences or avoiding difficult conversations, but rather realizing that we can only make progress if we communicate directly and openly with each other."
Intensive discussions
The US Treasury Department announced on Saturday that Yellen had agreed during two days of talks with her Chinese counterpart He Lifeng in Guangzhou that the two countries would hold intensive discussions about balanced growth.
Yellen's visit to China, her second to this country within a year, comes at a time when the two countries are trying to resolve their multiple differences on issues ranging from technology and trade to human rights, including the island of Taiwan and the TikTok application.
On Saturday, Yellen warned of "severe consequences" if it turns out that Chinese companies are helping Russia in its war on Ukraine, at a time when Beijing refrained from condemning the Russian war on this country.
According to Reuters, the top priority of Yellen's visit to China is to try to persuade officials there to curb the excess production capacity of electric cars, solar panels and other clean energy technology, given that it threatens competing companies in the United States and other countries.
Source: Agencies