China willing to make use of economic, trade consultation mechanism with US: commerce ministry

China

China willing to make use of economic, trade consultation mechanism with US: commerce ministry

2026-01-29 16:23 Last Updated At：21:57

China is willing to work with the United States to make good use of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, commerce ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian said Thursday at a press conference in Beijing.

She made the remarks in response to a media query about more details on a potential new round of China-U.S. trade talks ahead of a possible meeting between the leaders of two countries.

"In 2025, under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of China and the United States, both sides have conducted five rounds of economic and trade consultations in the spirit of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit. These discussions have yielded a series of positive outcomes, demonstrating that China and the United States can resolve their economic and trade differences through equal dialogue and consultation. Following the meeting between the two heads of state in Busan, both sides have maintained communication at various levels through the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, working together to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders and the outcomes of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation in Kuala Lumpur," said He.

"Next, China is willing to work with the United States to uphold and implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, make full use of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, manage differences, advance cooperation, and foster stable, healthy, and sustainable development of economic and trade relations between the two countries," she said.

China's top legislator meets British PM in Beijing

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with visiting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Beijing on Thursday morning.

Starmer arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin a four-day official visit at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, marking the first visit by a British prime minister to China in eight years.

Zhao noted that nurturing sound China-UK relations carries significant importance for the times and for the world amid an international landscape undergoing a period of turbulence and transformation.

He said that since Starmer took office in July 2024, Chinese leaders have engaged in phone calls and meetings with the British side, steering bilateral relations onto a track of improvement and development.

China is willing to work with the UK to uphold the strategic partnership, maintain a positive, pragmatic, stable and mutually beneficial direction, properly manage differences, and ensure that China-UK relations develop in a steady, substantive, and far-reaching manner, Zhao said.

Zhao also expressed China's readiness to work with the UK to restore normal exchanges between the two countries' legislative bodies and welcomed British parliamentarians to visit China to gain a true, multi-dimensional and panoramic understanding of the country.

For his part, Starmer noted the UK and China share extensive common interests, and said the UK is willing to develop a long-term, consistent strategic partnership with China. He affirmed that the UK's longstanding policy on the Taiwan question remains unchanged and expressed hope for the resumption of normal exchanges between the two legislatures.