Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi told US Ambassador to China Clark Randt Friday that China hopes the trade disputes between the two countries will be solved through consultation.

Wu said China has always believed that the economic and trade problems should be handled from a strategic perspective and " properly solved through consultation with the principle of equality, mutual-benefit and development."

"We also should avoid mixing economic and trade problems with politics," she told Randt.

The Vice-Premier said China-US economic and trade cooperation are reciprocal and has brought concrete interests for the two peoples. "It has also greatly propelled the development of China- US relations."

She said China and the United States are faced with "great opportunities" to improve and develop bilateral ties. She said she hoped the two countries will implement the consensus reached by the leaders and further promote the bilateral constructive cooperative ties.

Statistics from China's Ministry of Commerce showed that the trade volume between China and the United States has grown from 2. 5 billion US dollars 26 years ago to 169.6 billion US dollars in 2004.

Randt said economic and trade cooperation with China is important to the United States and is in the interest of both countries.

He said the United States wants to maintain communication and dialogue with China.