Commerce chief urges US to avoid 'vicious competition'

China wishes to strengthen economic co-operation with the United States to avoid "vicious competition", commerce minister Wang Wentao told US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to a readout released on Friday. The two met on Thursday on the sidelines of a World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Cameroon's capital, less than two months ahead of US President Donald Trump's planned visit to Beijing. "China is willing to strengthen multilateral and regional economic and trade co-operation with the United States," Wang told Greer, according to a statement by the Ministry of Commerce. The two powers must "properly handle the relationship between competition and co-operation" and "avoid vicious competition," he said. The world's two largest economies were locked in a bitter trade battle last year before agreeing to a truce in October. High-level talks in Paris this month between Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also helped to ease tensions. Nevertheless, issues including US tariffs, a trade balance in China's favour and American restrictions on exports of advanced technologies continue to threaten relations. Wang expressed "grave concerns" on Thursday regarding recently announced US trade investigations signalling the possibility of fresh tariffs. Washington's trade investigations target 60 economies, including China. The White House has said Trump would visit Beijing on May 14-15, with the timing postponed by several weeks as a result of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. (AFP) Edited by Tony Sabine