Yellen Sees Progress In US-China Ties At End Of Beijing Visit

At the end of a four-day trip to China, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that her talks with senior Chinese officials in recent days have been “direct” and “productive” despite significant disagreement and have helped improve US-China relations.

Yellen affirmed that the United States and China disagree on several issues, but has assured that her bilateral meetings with top Chinese officials, which have lasted about 10 hours in total, will support Washington’s efforts to stabilize relations between the world’s nations.

In a press conference at the American Embassy in China, the US Treasury Secretary called for closer economic relations with this country and asked China to cooperate in global plans to deal with climate change.

“I believe that continued cooperation between the United States and China on climate change is critical. As the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases and the largest investors in renewable energy, both countries have the responsibility and ability to take the way.”

Yellen added that the United States is seeking “constructive” economic relations with China and that she and Biden do not see ties between the United States and China in the context of a great power conflict.

Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said that the United States should take reasonable and practical measures and that the two sides should make joint efforts to maintain and improve relations.

“We wish the US side would take a rational and practical attitude, meet with the Chinese side halfway, make joint efforts with China in maintaining the consensus reached between the leaders in their meeting in Bali, and put the positive remarks into action, to stabilize and improve the china-us relations.”

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with senior Chinese officials during his trip to Beijing last month. US special climate envoy John Kerry is said to travel to China later this month for talks on global warming.

Yellen’s four-day visit is Washington’s latest attempt to deepen US-China relations and avoid a conflict between the world’s two largest economies, which have been damaged by Taiwan issues and technology and have also negatively affected companies and trade relations between the two countries.