WASHINGTON — Vice-Premier Wang Yang on July 19 called for cooperation between China and the United States instead of confrontation to address their differences.

“China and the US are each other’s biggest trading partner and important source of investment. Cooperation is a realistic choice for both sides,” Wang said in his opening remarks at the first China-US Comprehensive Economic Dialogue here on July 19.

“Dialogue cannot immediately address all differences, but confrontation will immediately damage the interests of both,” said Wang.

He noted that cooperation between China and the US not only benefits businesses and peoples of the two countries but the world as a whole.

According to the vice-premier, the primary task of the one-day dialogue is to increase mutual understanding, mutual trust and consensus.

With down-to-earth and visionary approaches, Wang called on both sides to make sure that China-US economic relationship will move forward along the right track and continue to produce tangible results.

Wang said that China was ready to work with the US to achieve win-win results for both sides.

Wang co-chairs the first China-US Comprehensive Economic Dialogue together with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Both sides are discussing a range of economic issues that will have long-term and strategic importance to the economic cooperation between the two countries.

The dialogue is one of the four major dialogue mechanisms the two sides established in April.