BEIJING: China’s number two leader on Sunday called for “dialogue” with Washington, during a meeting in Beijing attended by prominent US business executives and a key congressional ally of President Donald Trump.

Relations between the world’s two largest economies have plunged in recent weeks, as blanket tariffs imposed by Trump threaten China’s trade prospects. Premier Li Qiang’s comments came during a meeting with Trump supporter Steve Daines, a Republican senator from Montana.

His visit has been viewed as a bid to ease strained relations, with an eye towards setting up a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “Our two sides need to choose dialogue over confrontation, win-win cooperation over zero-sum competition,” Li told Daines.

CEOs of major firms including FedEx, Pfizer and Qualcomm were also present. Li said he hoped Washington would “work together with China to promote the steady, sound and sustainable development” of relations.

Earlier on Sunday, Li told the China Development Forum that Beijing would pursue economic globalisation despite “fragmentation”, a thinly veiled reference to trade turmoil sparked by Trump.

Chinese leaders have been attempting to steer a shaky economy onto a more stable path since the end of the pandemic, particularly by boosting consumption. They are seeking to position the country as a defender of the multilateral economic system, as Trump wages tariff wars with major US trading partners including China, Canada and Mexico.

“China will firmly stand on the correct side of history, that of fairness and justice, and act in a righteous manner amid the rough waters of the times,” Li said at the annual forum, attended by business leaders including Apple CEO Tim Cook. Beijing will “adhere to the correct direction of economic globalisation, practice true multilateralism and strive to be a force for stability and certainty”, Li said. In an apparent reference to renewed trade wars sparked by Trump, Li said that “global economic fragmentation is intensifying” and that “instability and uncertainty are on the rise”.

Talks were also expected to discuss the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl and its precursor chemicals from China into the United States.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025