China has told the United States it wants to narrow differences that have developed over a range of issues, state media said on Tuesday, aiming to lay the ground for a visit by President Hu Jintao early next year.
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan made the conciliatory public comments in a meeting with the U.S. National Economic Council Director, Larry Summers, and Deputy National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon, who are in Beijing for two days of talks.
Washington and Beijing are drawn together by economic and diplomatic interests, but this year has brought bouts of contention over Internet policies, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Tibet, and Chinese territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea.
U.S. officials have said President Hu is likely to visit the United States early next year -- an important but tricky political trophy for a Chinese leader -- and Vice Premier Wang stressed his government's hopes for an amicable atmosphere.
"There is strong inter-dependence and complementarity between the Chinese and U.S. economies," he told Summers and Donilon on Monday evening, Chinese state newspapers reported.
"China and the United States must use dialogue and exchanges to enhance understanding and mutual confidence, narrow their differences and avoid politicizing economic issues," said Wang.
"China-U.S. relations are developing in a generally healthy way," he said.
Neither side has said what issues are being discussed during the two days of talks in Beijing. Summers's discussions with China's top central banker, Zhou Xiaochuan, and other policy-makers are likely to include currency and trade issues.
The United States complains that China keeps its yuan currency undervalued, giving its manufacturers an unfair advantage against imports and making Chinese exports cheaper.
China unofficially pegged the yuan to the dollar from mid-2008 to mid-2010, so the currency weakened against other trade partners as the value of the dollar slid.
China ended that de facto peg on June 19, but since then the yuan has weakened by about 0.33 percent against the dollar, after appreciating as much as 0.91 percent on August 9.
Summers and Donilon also took an upbeat public tone.
In comments made before reporters, Summers told Wang that President Barack Obama "has emphasized for us the importance he attaches to a very strong relationship between the United States and China, and to President Hu's upcoming visit to the United States."
"I think we all benefit from candid conversation that enables us both to understand each other's thinking," said Summers. He and Donilon are due to meet Premier Wen Jiabao later on Tuesday.
China and U.S. seek to ease tensions; Hu visit on agenda | Reuters
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan made the conciliatory public comments in a meeting with the U.S. National Economic Council Director, Larry Summers, and Deputy National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon, who are in Beijing for two days of talks.
Washington and Beijing are drawn together by economic and diplomatic interests, but this year has brought bouts of contention over Internet policies, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Tibet, and Chinese territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea.
U.S. officials have said President Hu is likely to visit the United States early next year -- an important but tricky political trophy for a Chinese leader -- and Vice Premier Wang stressed his government's hopes for an amicable atmosphere.
"There is strong inter-dependence and complementarity between the Chinese and U.S. economies," he told Summers and Donilon on Monday evening, Chinese state newspapers reported.
"China and the United States must use dialogue and exchanges to enhance understanding and mutual confidence, narrow their differences and avoid politicizing economic issues," said Wang.
"China-U.S. relations are developing in a generally healthy way," he said.
Neither side has said what issues are being discussed during the two days of talks in Beijing. Summers's discussions with China's top central banker, Zhou Xiaochuan, and other policy-makers are likely to include currency and trade issues.
The United States complains that China keeps its yuan currency undervalued, giving its manufacturers an unfair advantage against imports and making Chinese exports cheaper.
China unofficially pegged the yuan to the dollar from mid-2008 to mid-2010, so the currency weakened against other trade partners as the value of the dollar slid.
China ended that de facto peg on June 19, but since then the yuan has weakened by about 0.33 percent against the dollar, after appreciating as much as 0.91 percent on August 9.
Summers and Donilon also took an upbeat public tone.
In comments made before reporters, Summers told Wang that President Barack Obama "has emphasized for us the importance he attaches to a very strong relationship between the United States and China, and to President Hu's upcoming visit to the United States."
"I think we all benefit from candid conversation that enables us both to understand each other's thinking," said Summers. He and Donilon are due to meet Premier Wen Jiabao later on Tuesday.
China and U.S. seek to ease tensions; Hu visit on agenda | Reuters
