On Jan. 31, 2013, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council met with the U.S. delegation headed by Ed Royce, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Li said that China-U.S. relationship is of great strategic significance and global influence. The key to developing the bilateral partnership featuring mutual respect and mutual benefit is to manage well the two types of interests. On one hand, the two countries should take good care of each other's core interests, which is the basis for the development of bilateral relations; the two countries should do more that would enhance mutual trust in areas of each other’s major concerns and take proper control of contradictions and differences; on the other hand, the two countries should develop and expand the common interests, which are the cornerstone of bilateral relations. The two countries should consolidate the foundation and solidify the cornerstone. Depending on the trees planted by our predecessors, the two countries should continue to plow and weed the fields so as to grow the tree of China-U.S. relations bigger and bigger. Li expected the U.S. Congress to play a constructive role in these areas.

Li pointed out that China and the United States, although at different stages of development, could be more beneficial for each other than competitive with each other. The two countries, being partners sharing mutual benefit and win-win results, will generate “interests multiplying" effects. The politicians of the two nations should strive to create favorable conditions to boost exchanges and cooperation between businesses, local regions and cultural communities at various levels. The politicians should set less barriers and create more platforms so as to give full play to the potentials of China-U.S. cooperation.

Royce and five members from the U.S. republican and democratic parties all responded to Li’s remarks. They all indicated that U.S.-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world; both the republican and democratic parties are actively supporting the development of U.S.-China relations; both sides should strengthen dialogues at all levels, deepen cooperation and make greater contribution to the prosperity and development of the two nations and to the peace and stability of the world.