China and the United States should solve the trade dispute through discussion instead of adopting sanctions measures, said Ma Kai, minister in charge of the State Development and Reform Commission Friday in Beijing.

Ma made the remark when meeting with visiting US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

China values Sino-US economic and trade cooperation, said Ma. The two sides should promote bilateral economic ties in line with giving play to each's advantages for mutual benefits and win-win results.

"Trade protectionism should be abandoned," he said, admitting that trade fractions are "unavoidable" amidst development.

Concerning the US trade deficit with China, Ma said that the best way to address the problem should be to increase exports of US products to China, high-tech products in particular. The import restriction of Chinese goods to the US market "will not do any good," he said.

Gutierrez said that the US government hopes to continue strengthening its economic and trade relations with China and looks for more business opportunities for US companies.

Source: Xinhua