The United States and China have “an obligation” to manage their relationship responsibly despite the “major differences of opinion” that exist between them, the US Treasury Secretary said in Beijing on Sunday.
“The two nations have a duty to manage this relationship responsibly: to find a way to live together and share global prosperity,” Janet Yellen stressed at the end of a four-day trip to the Chinese capital.
The official emphasized the “vital importance” of contacts between the two countries and stressed that contacts with Chinese rulers have helped improve China-US relations, putting them on a “firmer footing”.
“We believe the world is big enough for our two countries to prosper,” he stated.
Since arriving in Beijing on Thursday, Yellen has been hosted by several Chinese government officials, including the Prime Minister, Li Qiang, in meetings where she advocated greater exchange and cooperation despite the differences.
“Overall, I think my bilateral meetings, which lasted about 10 hours over two days, were a step forward in our efforts to put US-China relations on a firmer footing,” Yellen said.
The US will continue to take “specific measures” to protect the country’s security, but these trade restrictions are not intended to “gain an economic advantage” over China, the minister assured, referring to the imposition of restrictions in recent years. months. American companies in the supply of semiconductors.
China, which wants to become autonomous in this area, believes that these measures are designed to hinder its development and maintain US supremacy.
“It is important to note that these actions are motivated by simple considerations of national security. We are not using them to gain economic advantage,” he said.
This visit, Yellen’s first since taking office in 2021, took place a few weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to China and marks US President Joe Biden’s administration’s will to ease strained relations between the world’s two greatest powers. stabilize.
Saturday’s meeting between Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng resulted in an agreement on “strengthening communication and cooperation to address global challenges,” according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.
While the US Treasury Secretary acknowledged the existence of differences between the two countries, she assured Beijing’s talks were “direct, substantive and productive”.
Source: DN
