The sound development of the U.S. economy and a steady U.S. dollar benefits the United States and the world, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing on Tuesday.

Wen, at a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said that China was ready to make concerted efforts with the United States to promote world economic growth and maintain the stability of the world financial markets.

Wen said that Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations were mutually beneficial and it was inevitable for problems to occur during rapid development.

China held that disputes should be properly handled through dialogue and consultation and opposed trade protectionism in any form, noted Wen.

He said that China had adopted and would continue positive measures to address concerns of the U.S. side, and it hoped that the U.S. side would further open its markets and lift limits on high-tech exports to China.

Rice said that the U.S. economy was generally good and would soon show steady growth under the stimulus policy.

There was a tendency toward economic nationalism and trade protectionism in the United States, said Rice, adding that U.S. President George W. Bush firmly upheld free and just trade and was committed to promoting U.S.-China economic relations.

She said she hoped that Sino-U.S. strategic economic dialogue could make progress in solving some problems.

Rice arrived here on Tuesday on a two-day visit to China as guest of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2008)