Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing Thursday that China and the United States should conduct economic and trade cooperation based on the principles of development, equality and reciprocity.

At a meeting with Michael Eskew, Chairman of United States-China Business Council, an association founded in 1973 to represent US companies with business interests in China, Wen said Sino-US economic and trade relations are an important component part of the bilateral relations, and that he hoped the council and the US business community will continue to improve relations.

Wen said the long-term growth of relations between the two countries is the common aspiration of both and is essential to world peace and development.

Echoing Wen, Eskew said his council will strive to advance the long-term, steady growth of American-China relations.

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2004)