China says US is not a competitor
February 1, 2013, 1:13 pm

Li Keqiang, Chinese Vice Premier (r) meets with Ed Royce, chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs. [Xinhua]

Li Keqiang, the Chinese Vice Premier said on Thursday that China and the United States, the biggest developing and developed countries, should work together for their respective core and common interests.

Li made the remarks in Beijing during a meeting with a US Congress delegation headed by Ed Royce, chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The US National intelligence Council had predicted in a report in December 2012 that China will outgrow the US economy before 2030.

The Obama administration’s announcement of an Asia pivot has raised concerns in China.

Beijing had earlier hit out at Washington after Hillary Clinton’s comments on the Diaoyu islands.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a briefing on Monday that the outgoing US secretary of state’s comments were “ignorant of facts and indiscriminate of rights and wrongs”

Vice Premier Li, however, has urged mutual trust to form the basis of Sino-US ties now.

The expansion of common interests helps consolidate the foundation of bilateral relations, Li said.

He stressed that China and the United States, although at different stages of development, could be more mutually beneficial than competitive.

Li suggests politicians of both nations need to create favourable conditions for bilateral ties.

During the Presidential election campaign in the US, there had been a relentless trail of “China-bashing”.

Both Presidential candidates put the blame for America’s economic woes on the growing eastern power.

During the Thursday meet, however, Royce and five US congressmen from the democratic and republican parties, responded to Li’s remarks and agreed that US-China relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world.

They said the two American political parties would work actively to support two-way communication and dialogue, as well as the development of bilateral relations.

With inputs from Agencies