On September 25 local time, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang had a meeting with friendly organizations in the United States in New York. The meeting was attended by representatives of the U.S.-China Business Council, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as U.S. scholars and businesses leaders.

After listening to the statements from the U.S. side, Premier Li Qiang said that the China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world and that the two countries could and should become partners and friends. Looking back into the past, friendly interactions have been the mainstream and overarching trend in China-U.S. relations. Looking ahead into the future, the two countries need to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era. As President Xi Jinping noted, “The Pacific Ocean is vast enough to accommodate both China and the United States, as well as other countries.”As two major forces in the world, China and the United States should follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and prosper together in pursuing mutual success. Economic and trade ties constitute an important part of bilateral relations. The two countries have different market structures and highly complementary industries, and both occupy an important position in the international industrial chain. Enhanced economic and trade cooperation benefits both countries and the wider world.

Premier Li Qiang pointed out that China has the confidence and ability to maintain steady and healthy economic development, and this will create more opportunities for businesses of all countries, including the United States. No matter how the external environment may evolve, China will do its best to provide greater certainty for the development of foreign businesses. First, China will continue to act with a constructive and responsible attitude and work with the U.S. side to promote the steady recovery of China-U.S. economic and trade ties on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. Second, China will continue to focus on development and pursue robust economic growth. China’s economy has a unique mechanism that ensures its stable performance. China’s market potential is being released at a faster pace, and its innovation drive and economic dynamism are growing stronger. All this promises huge and predictable development opportunities for businesses. Third, China will continue to honor its promise and stay committed to opening wider to the world. China will continuously expand market access and increase import, actively address the concerns of foreign businesses, help resolve their practical difficulties, and provide businesses of all countries with the certainty they need to operate and develop in China.

Premier Li Qiang stressed that the foundation of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, and its healthy development requires the joint efforts of both societies. It is hoped that people from various sectors in the United States will take more proactive actions to increase the mutual understanding between the two countries, expand practical cooperation across the board, and make greater contributions to the development of and friendship between the two countries.

The U.S. participants noted that what China has achieved over recent years in economic growth, sci-tech innovation, social development and other fields is truly admirable. The U.S.-China relationship not only concerns the two countries but also has global implications. It is hoped that the two countries could maintain high-level interactions, expand dialogue in all fields, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, and develop a long-term and stable bilateral relationship in order to provide greater certainty for the international community. The U.S. business community is optimistic about China’s economic prospect and will continue to increase investment in China and serve as a bridge for advancing cooperation and enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries.