China's new premier Li Qiang has called for increased cooperation between Beijing and Washington on the last day of this year's session of the Chinese National People's Congress.
The world's two largest economies are closely linked economically and trade-wise, the new premier said in his first press conference.
"China and the US can and must cooperate," Li said. "Encirclement and suppression [are] in no one's interest," he added, repeating accusations by Chinese President Xi Jinping that the US wants to to prevent China's rise in the world through containment and isolation.
Li struck relatively conciliatory tones towards the US compared with Xi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
Ties between China and the United States have been tested in recent months by the downing of an alleged Chinese spy balloon in US airspace, adding to tensions caused by Beijing's claims towards Taiwan among other things.
He also said that it would be "no easy task" for the country to hit its annual growth target, already one of Beijing's lowest in years.
"I'm afraid that reaching our growth target of around five percent will be no easy task, and will require that we redouble our efforts," Li said at a press conference in Beijing.
