BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen He sent a message of mutual cooperation with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in talks on Sunday, stressing the improvement in relations since his visit to China last year, while acknowledging that major differences remain.
Yellen focused on trade and economic issues during the first two days of her visit, before turning to broader U.S.-China relations in a meeting with Li, one of China's top leaders.
“We still have work to do, but I believe that the past year has put our bilateral relations on a more stable footing,” she said in the ornate Fujian Room of the Great Hall of the People on the west side of Tiananmen Square. ” .
Yellen, who is well-regarded in China, is expected to meet President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in California in November for carefully orchestrated talks aimed at steering troubled relations between the two countries in a better direction. This will be his first ministerial visit since his departure.
Speaking to the media before the meeting, Li said the high level of media interest in Yellen's visit “is an expression of the high expectations and expectations and hopes for growth” in the U.S.-China relationship. .
China's rise as an economic and military superpower has brought it into conflict with the United States, which has long dominated the country.
The United States has restricted China's access to advanced semiconductors and other technologies, saying they could be used for military purposes. China remains a middle-income country and accuses the United States of trying to stifle its economic development.
Li told Yellen during the meeting that China hopes the United States will not politicize economic and trade issues or over-expand its definition of national security, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Yellen visited China trade practices That's why putting American businesses and workers at an unfair competitive disadvantage is her top priority.
Subsidies and other policy support from the Chinese government have facilitated the spread of solar panels. EV manufacturer China is investing in factories and building far more production capacity than its domestic market can absorb.
This lowered prices for consumers, but western government They fear that that capacity could flood the market with low-cost exports, threatening jobs in the United States and Europe.
However, Li insisted that the development of China's green energy industry will make an important contribution to combating climate change, Xinhua reported.
The United States and China announced on Saturday that intensive interaction The US statement, released after two days of extended talks between Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in the southern city of Guangzhou, spoke of more balanced economic growth.
They also agreed to start exchanges on anti-money laundering measures. It is not currently clear when or where the talks will take place.
“As the world's two largest economies, we have an obligation to ourselves and the world to responsibly manage our complex relationships and to cooperate and provide leadership in addressing pressing global challenges,” Yellen said. said.
Relations were at their lowest point when she visited in July, when they were in the early stages of efforts to improve relations.
China was angered by then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in 2022, and ended talks on a variety of issues. Tensions further escalated in early 2023 when a Chinese balloon crossed the United States and was subsequently shot down by a US fighter jet.
In that context, Yellen's visit is an attempt to build on the fragile stability that has been established.
The end of her visit coincides with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit on Monday and Tuesday, announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday.
Chinese trade surge Clashes with the Kremlin have increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Although China does not provide arms to Russia, the United States has expressed concern that China is selling items to Russia that could have civilian as well as military uses.
At a press conference on Saturday, Yellen addressed the relationship between the United States and China, with Russia as the theme.
“We believe there is more work to do, but we see this as an area where we have agreed to work together, and we are already seeing meaningful progress,” she said. “They understand how serious an issue this is for us.”
Yellen also met with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong on Sunday, and said, “Local governments play an important (economic) role, from promoting consumption to combating overinvestment.” In China, Beijing is particularly important. He added that there is.
“We believe that engagement with local governments is essential to understanding China's economy and its economic future,” Yellen said.
Late Sunday, Yellen met with students and faculty from Peking University.
