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There is "ample room" for American and Chinese companies to boost trade and investment, despite security tensions, during a trip to Beijing aimed at easing friction between the two powers. Speaking at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing before meeting Chinese economic czar He Lifeng on Saturday, the US Treasury secretary said a "wide swath" of the two countries' economies should be able interact in a manner “without controversy for both governments.” . “The fact that, despite recent tensions, we set a record for bilateral trade in 2022 suggests that there is ample room for our companies to engage in trade and investment,” Yellen said. Addressing He and his economic team in a cavernous room at the guest house, Yellen repeated her call for Beijing and Washington to improve communication, including on macroeconomic and financial stability.
Complicated global economic landscape, there is a pressing need for the two largest economies to communicate closely and exchange views on . . . several challenges,” Yellen said. Yellen was visiting Beijing just weeks Job Function Email Database after Secretary of State Antony Blinken became the first Cabinet official in the Biden administration to travel to China. The trips are part of an effort to stabilize relations, which have fallen to their lowest level in decades. An earlier attempt was derailed after China flew a suspected spy balloon over North America. Yellen has tried to tread a fine line, calling for better communication and urging Beijing not to overreact to security measures the Biden administration has taken to prevent American technology from being used to help the Chinese military. “The United States will take specific steps to protect our national security.
While we may disagree with these actions, we must not allow that disagreement to generate misunderstandings, particularly those arising from a lack of communication, which may unnecessarily worsen our bilateral economic and financial relationship,” he said. Earlier on Saturday, Yellen met with Chinese climate finance experts. At his meeting, he said the US and China, the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases and the largest investors in renewable energy, had “a joint responsibility. to lead the way.” “If China supported existing multilateral climate institutions like the Green Climate Fund and Climate Investment Funds alongside us and other donor governments, we could have a greater impact than we have today,” Yellen said. John Kerry, President Joe Biden's special envoy for climate change, is expected to be the next senior US official to travel to China.
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