SOCHI, Russia — China and the United States should carry out their trade talks on the basis of equality instead of blaming and pressuring on the other side during the process of negotiation, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Sochi, Russia on May 13.

He made the remarks at a news conference following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

When asked about the prospects for China-US trade talks, Wang said Beijing and Washington have made significant and substantial progress with their joint efforts, but certain difficulties remain to be carefully handled and resolved.

Under such circumstances, unilateral accusation is meaningless while shifting responsibility is unacceptable, he said, warning that exerting maximum pressure will only trigger legitimate countermeasures.

China’s move is meant to not only protect its due rights and interests, but also safeguard the basic rules of multilateral trade mechanism, Wang added.

Wang underlined that the negotiation is not a one-way lane but should be carried out on the basis of equality, saying it is impossible to expect one side to readily accept the other’s request.

China will always safeguard its sovereignty, Chinese people’s interests and national dignity when negotiating with any country, he said.

The outlook for trade links between China and the United States — the world’s two largest economies — not only matters to their own development, but also bears on the prospect of the world economy.

Therefore, as long as the negotiation is in line with China’s reform and opening-up policy, its pursuit of high-quality development, and the common and long-term interests of the two peoples, the negotiators of both sides will have the ability and wisdom to properly address their reasonable demand and reach a mutually beneficial agreement, he said.