According to the Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held "in-depth, candid, and practical" talks during their meeting in Beijing today, Saturday. Yellen mentioned during her meeting with Feng that despite the tensions in the relationship between the two countries, the significant increase in trade volume between the United States and China reaching a record level last year shows that there is "a wide range" for cooperation in trade and investment. She emphasized the importance of focusing on areas of mutual interest and addressing disagreements through dialogue.
She added, "Amid complex global economic expectations, there is an urgent need for the two largest economies to communicate and exchange views on our responses to various challenges." She continued that doing so could "help both sides gain a comprehensive understanding of global economic expectations and make better decisions to strengthen our economies."
At the same time, Yellen reiterated that Washington aims to ensure fair competition by establishing "a set of fair rules" that would benefit both countries over time. She told a group of women working in the economic field on Saturday that she is visiting "Beijing at this critical time because despite all the disagreements between our two countries, I and President Biden believe it is in the interest of our peoples to put our relationship on a better path and keep open and honest lines of communication between us."
She added, "I strongly believe that the relations between our two countries are rooted in the strong ties between the American and Chinese peoples. It is important for us to continue to support and deepen these relations, especially with the reopening of China after the three-year COVID-19 shutdown."
