Vice premier He calls for equal dialogue with US
Vice premier He calls for equal dialogue with US
At the London trade talks are, from left, Jamieson Greer, Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent, He Lifeng, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and Chinese International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang. Photo: AFP
The United States should resolve trade disputes with China through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, Vice Premier He Lifeng said.
China reiterates that the United States should work with China to honour their words with actions and demonstrate sincerity in keeping commitments and concrete efforts to implement consensus so as to jointly safeguard the hard-won outcomes of dialogue, He said.
The vice premier made the remarks during the first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism held in London on Monday and Tuesday with the US delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
During the talks, the two sides held candid and in-depth talks and thoroughly exchanged views on economic and trade issues of mutual concern.
The two sides reached a principled agreement on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their phone call on June 5 and the framework of measures to consolidate the outcomes of the economic and trade talks in Geneva, and made new progress in addressing each other's economic and trade concerns.
Calling the meeting an important consultation held under the guidance of the strategic consensus reached by the two heads of state on June 5, He said China's position on Sino-US economic and trade issues is clear and consistent.
Noting that the essence of Sino-US economic and trade relations lies in mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, he said cooperation in the economic and trade field benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.
There are no winners in trade wars, he said, adding that China does not seek conflict but will not be intimidated by one.
The vice premier urged the United States to resolve trade disputes with China through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, adding that while China is sincere in pursuing economic and trade consultations, it also has its principles.
Next, the two sides should, in accordance with the important consensus and requirements reached by the two heads of state during their phone call, make better use of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism and work to enhance their consensus, reduce misunderstandings and strengthen cooperation, He said.
The two sides should maintain communication and consultation and promote the steady and sustained growth of Sino-US economic and trade relations so as to inject more certainty and stability into the world economy, He added.
The US side said that the meeting had achieved positive outcomes and further stabilized bilateral economic and trade relations, adding that it would walk in the same direction as China in accordance with the requirements of the phone call between the two heads of state to jointly implement the consensus reached at this meeting. (Xinhua)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
42 minutes ago
- HKFP
Lawbreakers to be ‘held accountable,' China says as US airs support for activist Joshua Wong after nat. security charge
China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong has slammed the United States for voicing support for jailed activist Joshua Wong after he was charged under the national security law, accusing Washington of 'blatantly interfering' in the city's affairs. The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong on Wednesday expressed 'strong disapproval and firm opposition,' after Washington said it 'strongly condemns' a second national security charge levelled against Wong. Wong, who is serving a four years and eight months jail sentence over conspiring to subvert state power under a Beijing-imposed national security law, was hit with a foreign collusion charge last week. The 28-year-old activist – one of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy figures – stands accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law to request foreign countries to impose sanctions or engage in hostile activities against Hong Kong or China. 'Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, where lawbreakers must be held accountable,' a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong said in a statement, describing Wong as an 'anti-China element.' 'The Hong Kong police acted lawfully in handling anti-China forces, and the judiciary delivered fair rulings – this is entirely legitimate,' the spokesperson said. 'The US has repeatedly used 'human rights' and 'freedom' as pretexts to back its pawns, exposing its malicious intent,' the spokesperson added. 'Unjust sentence' Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the US State Department criticised the charge against Wong. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted. 'Wong is already serving an unjust sentence under vague national security charges simply for engaging in peaceful political activity,' the US spokesperson told US state-funded outlet the Voice of America (VOA) on Monday. The activist was among 45 convicted last year under the national security law in a case linked to primary elections in 2020. 'This tragic assault on Hong Kong's future – including the future of Joshua Wong and other activists languishing in custody or exiled for defending their fundamental freedoms – only proves Beijing never meant to keep its promises to maintain Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and civil liberties,' the US spokesperson said. 'We call on Beijing and Hong Kong officials to stop using bogus national security laws to target Hong Kongers, release all political prisoners, and drop these outrageous charges against Joshua Wong,' the spokesperson added. 'Erroneous slanders' In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the Hong Kong government also strongly condemned 'some Western countries, anti-China organisations and anti-China politicians… for making erroneous slanders and smears.' 'As the legal proceedings of the case involving Joshua Wong Chi-fung are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for any person to comment on the details of the case,' a Hong Kong government spokesperson said. The city judiciary exercises its power independently and defendants are entitled to ac fair trial, the Hong Kong spokesperson said. 'We are appalled by irresponsible remarks of some countries, organisations or individuals that seemed to suggest that people with certain political beliefs should be immune to legal sanctions,' the spokesperson added. Int't NGOs condemn charge The Hong Kong government statement came after international NGOs criticised the new charge against Wong. 'This latest charge against him underscores the authorities' fear of prominent dissidents and shows the lengths they will go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible – in so doing, continuing a chilling effect on civic activism in the city,' Amnesty International's China Director Sarah Brooks said in a statement last week, after Wong was brought to court to face the new allegation. 'While imprisoned under one trumped-up charge, Joshua Wong has been suddenly slapped with yet another as the authorities appear intent on keeping one of Hong Kong's most influential democracy leaders behind bars. This decision is arbitrary, cruel, and outrageous,' Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, said in a separate statement. Wong has already spent over 1,600 days in prison since being remanded in custody in November 2020 over an unauthorised assembly charge. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to subvert state power in the city's largest national security case and was sentenced to four years and eight months in jail last November. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Xi-Trump phone call suggests ties are warming but the timing of a meeting is another thing
Despite an invitation from his American counterpart Donald Trump , sources indicate that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not travel to the United States in September for the UN General Assembly, which would be the earliest opportunity for such a trip. Advertisement Instead, China will send Premier Li Qiang to represent the country at the event in New York, according to several diplomatic sources. The bilateral relationship seems to have improved following a phone call between Xi and Trump on June 5. The US president later said he had received an invitation to visit China, which he then reciprocated. 02:09 China, US top negotiators agree on 'framework' that will need approval from Xi and Trump China, US top negotiators agree on 'framework' that will need approval from Xi and Trump 'He invited me to China, and I invited him here. We both accepted, so I'll be going there with the first lady at a certain point, and he'll be coming here, hopefully with the first lady of China,' Trump told reporters that day. Observers in Washington believe a visit would significantly stabilise one of the most critical bilateral relationships in the world. Such trips typically require months of preparation, making the United Nations General Assembly in September the most convenient opportunity. It would be ideal for Xi to speak in person to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, an organisation China has staunchly supported. However, several diplomatic sources told the South China Morning Post this was unlikely. Advertisement 'The No. 2 will go to the UN,' said a source in Beijing who had been briefed on the arrangements, referring to the premier. Two other sources also told the Post that Li would attend on Xi's behalf.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
ByteDance, SenseTime unveil model updates as China's AI race heats up
China's artificial intelligence (AI) market sees heightened competition, as various model providers – from SenseTime to ByteDance – step up efforts to enhance their services. Hong Kong-listed SenseTime has upgraded its Cantonese-speaking chatbot, Sensechat, with a comprehensive set of new features that include real-time audio and video-interaction capabilities, according to the company's announcement on Thursday. Other enhancements include visual reasoning capabilities, which allow Sensechat to 'see' and 'think' while engaging with users. The feature was made possible by the multimodal reasoning capabilities of SenseTime's SenseNova V6 AI model , the company said. Multimodal models are designed to understand multiple types of input data such as text, video and audio, unlike traditional models that only handle one type. SenseTime is one of China's pioneering AI companies. Photo: Reuters That upgrade comes a day after TikTok parent ByteDance launched a suite of new AI models and tools at reduced prices, underscoring the intensifying competition in the domestic market after Chinese start-up DeepSeek's cost-effective products garnered global attention.
