Senior Chinese and U.S. officials have vowed to promote healthy economic and trade relations between two countries, saying the ties are the basis of steady development of the bilateral overall relationship, according to a news release on Thursday from the Chinese side.

Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, who held talks with his American counterparts in the past two days, said that sound and stable China-U.S. economic and trade relations are in line with the fundamental interests of both sides.

As to the Chinese currency Renminbi issue, Zhong noted that the China-U.S. trade imbalance is caused by the shift in international division of labor and of industries against the backdrop of globalization, and the appreciation of the RMB will not solve the problem, said the news release.

Zhong called on the U.S. side to take joint efforts with China to deal with the imbalance.

China will take measures to import more products from the U.S., while the U.S. should also take concrete actions to change its export control measures against China, Zhong said.

During the meetings with Zhong, U.S. officials also agreed that the two countries should maintain the communications and make efforts to fight against the protectionism.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2010)