BEIJING: China’s ambassador to the United States said he hoped Beijing and Washington would “meet each other halfway” during talks with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday before she visits China, according to state media.

Yellen’s three-day trip, which starts Thursday, is expected to include high-level meetings with Chinese officials, offering both sides the chance to engage on a series of contentious issues contributing to strained economic ties.

“It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway… take actions to eliminate interference, manage differences, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation”, in order to “return (bilateral ties) to the right track”, Ambassador Xie Feng told Yellen, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Yellen to visit China, raising need to ‘responsibly manage’ ties

A Treasury statement about the meeting said Yellen voiced support for “ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the US-China bilateral relationship”.

Both official statements described the discussion as “frank and productive”.

The Treasury previously said Yellen would use the trip to China to call on both sides “to responsibly manage our relationship, communicate directly about areas of concern, and work together to address global challenges”.

China has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over Washington’s bans on exports of high-end semiconductors and other trade curbs.

The souring ties between Washington and Beijing have led many US policymakers to call for a decoupling between the world’s two leading economies – a prospect that has been dismissed by Yellen.

“It would be disastrous for us to attempt to decouple from China. De-risk, yes. Decouple? Absolutely not,” Yellen said in a June speech.

Yellen’s visit comes just weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing in June.