China,US High-level Dialog to Boost Partnership

The high-level China-US strategic and economic dialoge now taking place here in Beijing is expected to boost consensus on issues ranging from global economic recovery to bilateral trade. It has also sparked calls from top officials for both sides to step up the fight against trade protectionism.

Zhang Shuangfeng has more from the Diaoyutai State Guest House where the meetings are taking place.

Reporter:

This round of China-US strategic and economic dialoge is focused more on the partnership between the two countries, who are both striving for sustained economic growth.

Chinese vice premier Wang Qishan says he hopes the dialogue with the US will help smooth over differences and promote a healthy relationship.

"With the expanding and deepening of China-US economic ties, disputes are irreversible. But these are problem during development of our relations. I think both sides need to take into consideration our different cultures, economic structures, and market development, so that we can enhance our understanding."

Many believe positive progress has been made since the first round of talks took place last July in Washington, but both sides acknowledge that they are facing common challenges, which includes the European sovereign debt crisis.

To better address these challenges, the vice premier says it's important for China and the US to work together.

"Adjusting economic growth pattern needs the strong support of scientific research, technical innovation and emerging new industries. But a more deep-rooted problem is that we have to change people's mindset and their way of life. We hope to reach a consensus through this dialog so that we can act together."

Meanwhile, US treasury secretary Timothy Geithner says the US is concerned about china's technical innovation, and has asked China to give US firms the same opportunities in competing with their Chinese counterparts in this field.

"After joining the WTO, china became significantly more open to imports and to foreign investments. We want to encourage you to go further to take additional steps to make sure that companies that export to china, that are operating in china, and that compete with Chinese companies around the world, are competing on the level plain field. "

Geithner points out that China and the US are working very closely in the G20, which the US sees as a principal forum for addressing global economic issues.

For CRI, I am Zhang Shuangfeng, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.