On May 29, 2012, Vice Premier Li Keqiang met with Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of the Metlife, Inc. Steven Kandarian at the Great Hall of the People.

Li said in recent years, Sino-U.S. relations have maintained stable development in general with cooperation in various fields advancing steadily. The two countries share extensive common interests in achieving their own development and addressing global challenges, and there are broad prospects in the development of Sino-U.S. cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Li pointed out that the two economies are highly complementary to each other and their interconnected and increasingly close economic and trade relationship is an important cornerstone of bilateral relations. Li said U.S.-invested companies in China had "witnessed, participated in and benefited from" the fast growth of the bilateral trade and economic cooperation. China's 12th Five-Year Plan, expansion of domestic consumption and its economic transformation will bolster the real economy and services such as finance and insurance, he added. Li said he hoped Metlife, Inc. and other transnational enterprises would grasp the opportunity, tap their own experience and other advantages and play an active role in financial and insurance cooperation between China and the United States.

Kandarian said he will continue to strengthen cooperation with Chinese companies and promote the development of bilateral ties.

Metlife, Inc. is a global leading provider of insurance and other financial services. Ranked 34th among the top 500 American companies, Metlife, Inc. has more than 140 years of experience in the insurance sector. The company has 90 million customers in over 50 countries around the world.