China US Photo: VCG

China will work to address the reasonable concerns of US companies operating in China, and safeguard a level playing field in accordance with the law, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li made the remarks when meeting with a delegation of the Board of Directors of the US-China Business Council, led by its board chair Ryan McInerney, in Beijing.

For many years, the US-China Business Council has played an important role in promoting China-US relations and economic and trade cooperation. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, China-US relations have remained generally stable, the premier said.

China is willing to work with the US, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, to strengthen dialogue and communication, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences, promote a constructive and strategically stable China-US relationship, and strive for more practical outcomes, said the premier.

Li also called on the US side to work with China in the same direction, take concrete actions to address China's concerns, and jointly implement the outcomes of the bilateral economic and trade consultations, Xinhua reported.

Li noted that the development of international economic and trade cooperation offers several important lessons: win-win cooperation is the prevailing trend, mutual respect and understanding form the foundation, and working toward the same goal is key. The essence of China-US economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Strengthening cooperation is an inherent need for both sides and the right choice, he said.

Looking globally, China may be the only market with both vast scale and strong potential for new growth, said Li, noting that in particular, high-quality and upgrading consumption, including smart and green consumption, is growing rapidly. US companies are welcome to seize these opportunities and further expand and deepen their presence in the Chinese market.

Given the enormous scale of China-US economic and trade cooperation, some differences and frictions are normal, the premier said, noting that as long as the two sides respect and understand each other and strengthen communication and consultation, solutions can always be found.

It is hoped that the US-China Business Council will continue to leverage its influence, encourage various sectors in the US to view China's development in a rational and objective manner, and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations, said the premier.

China and the US have maintained extensive economic and trade ties despite fluctuations. In the first half of the year, China-US goods trade totaled 2 trillion yuan ($294.1 billion), accounting for 7.9 percent of China's total foreign trade, with the second quarter rebounding to 13.7 percent growth after an 18.7 percent slump in the first quarter, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

Tuesday's meeting sent a positive signal that China and the US are seeking to further stabilize economic and trade ties and advance practical cooperation, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that the overall stability in bilateral relations has also created more favorable conditions for businesses to make long-term investments and pursue sustained operations.

Speaking at Tuesday's meeting, McInerney and other US representatives said that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world today. The successful meeting between the two heads of state has provided stable expectations for bilateral economic and trade cooperation and injected greater certainty into the global economy, Xinhua reported.

The US business community is confident in the implementation of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and the country's economic prospects, and will continue to deepen its presence in China, expand investment in the country, and remain a committed long-term partner in China's development and a constructive force in China-US relations. The US-China Business Council stands ready to serve as a bridge to enhance mutual understanding, trust and cooperation and promote the development of a constructive and strategically stable China-US relationship, the US-China Business Council said, Xinhua reported.

"The US business community's willingness to deepen its presence in China and expand investment once again reflects the strong appeal of the Chinese market to US companies," said Zhou, noting that beyond its vast market and continuously upgrading consumer demand, China is generating new growth opportunities in areas such as green transformation and the digital economy, opening up new business opportunities for US companies.

The US overreach in the name of "national security" on trade and technology issues is constraining the potential of China-US economic cooperation, the Chinese expert said, citing recent US restrictions targeting China in areas such as advanced chips and AI-related technologies. "Such restrictions have disrupted normal business ties while adding costs and uncertainty for US companies and global supply chains," he said.

Instead, reducing unnecessary barriers through dialogue could help US companies expand in China, lower costs for US businesses and consumers, foster innovation and strengthen supply chain stability, Zhou said.