BEIJING -- Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on March 20 in Beijing.

Li Keqiang said the current Sino-US relationship is at a critical stage linking the past with the future. Li says China and the US should take a strategic perspective with an eye on long term shared interests rather than dwelling on specific problems.

Li pointed out that the global economic outlook remains fragile; the international community needs to continue joint efforts and prioritize problems to boost growth.

Li says as the two largest economies in the world, China and the US could play a key role in navigating the global economy out of the doldrums. Jacob Lew reaffirmed the US position to promote bilateral cooperation via mechanisms such as the joint China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

The two sides also exchanged ideas on other economic issues including the eurozone debt crisis. Jacob Lew also met with China’s central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan earlier in the day.