China seeks to avoid shouting matches with US

China wants to quell tensions with the United States through quiet talk, not shouting matches, a top Chinese foreign policy advisor told two leading White House advisers on Tuesday, The Reuters reported.

Chinese officials made the conciliatory public comments in meetings with the U.S. National Economic Council Director, Larry Summers, and Deputy National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon. Both were in Beijing for consultations.

The two countries are drawn together by economic and diplomatic interests, but this year has brought bouts of friction over China’s currency policy, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and U.S. military drills and naval activities near China’s border.

"Quiet and in-depth dialogue is better than loud haranguing," State Councilor Dai Bingguo told Summers and Donilon, in remarks made in the presence of reporters on Tuesday.

"At present, in no other relationship between countries is it more important to enhance dialogue, strengthen mutual confidence and expand and develop cooperation than it is between China and the United States," Dai said.

Summers and Donilon also took an upbeat public tone. Summers told Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan Monday that President Barack Obama "has emphasized for us the importance he attaches to a very strong relationship between the United States and China and to President Hu's upcoming visit to the United States."

The conciliatory comments from Chinese officials indicated that Beijing wants to keep friction in check, even if deep differences over economic issues and regional disputes remain, The Reuters report said.

"There is strong inter-dependence and complementarity between the Chinese and U.S. economies," Chinese Vice-Premier Wang told Summers and Donilon on Monday, Chinese newspapers reported." China-U.S. relations are developing in a generally healthy way."

Neither side has said what issues are being discussed during the two days of talks. Summers's discussions with China's top central banker, Zhou Xiao-chuan, and other policy-makers are likely to include currency and trade issues.

In another sign that Beijing may be seeking to calm tensions, one of those military officers called for "avoiding friction and seeking bases for cooperation."

"Solving the bilateral conflicts between China and the United States can rely only on dialogue, and not confrontation," Major General Luo Yuan wrote in the Chinese magazine, Outlook Weekly. "Dialogue is better than taking aim at each other," Luo wrote.

By People's Daily Online