CHINESE Vice President Xi Jinping said in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday that China and the United States should engage in dialogues instead of resorting to protectionism to address their trade and economic concerns.

In a meeting at the White House with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, Xi said China-U.S. economic and trade ties serve as “ballast” and “propeller” for overall bilateral relations.

He expressed the hope that the two countries would improve coordination of macroeconomic policies, deepen cooperation in handling the international financial crisis and advance cooperation programs on trade and investment. The two sides, he said, should also preserve the basic pattern of mutual benefit in their trade and economic relations.

Xi arrived in Washington on Monday for a five-day visit to the United States.

(SD-Agencies)