Yellen's three-day trip, which starts Thursday, is expected to include high-level meetings with Chinese officials, offering both sides the chance to engage on a series of contentious issues contributing to strained economic ties.
"It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway... take actions to eliminate interference, manage differences, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation", in order to "return (bilateral ties) to the right track", Ambassador Xie Feng told Yellen, state broadcaster CCTV said.
A Treasury statement about the meeting said Yellen voiced support for "ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the US-China bilateral relationship".
Both official statements described the discussion as "frank and productive".
The Treasury previously said Yellen would use the trip to China to call on both sides "to responsibly manage our relationship, communicate directly about areas of concern, and work together to address global challenges".
China has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over Washington's bans on exports of high-end semiconductors and other trade curbs.
The souring ties between Washington and Beijing have led many US policymakers to call for a decoupling between the world's two leading economies -- a prospect that has been dismissed by Yellen.
"It would be disastrous for us to attempt to decouple from China. De-risk, yes. Decouple? Absolutely not," Yellen said in a June speech.
Yellen's visit comes just weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing in June.
China cancels rescheduled visit from EU top diplomat
Brussels (AFP) July 4, 2023 -
China has cancelled a visit to Beijing planned for next week by the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Brussels said Tuesday.
The senior EU official was due to head to China for talks with foreign minister Qin Gang, after earlier having to delay a trip in April due to a Covid infection.
"Unfortunately, we were informed by the Chinese counterparts that the envisaged dates next week are no longer possible and we must now look for alternatives," EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said.
The cancellation comes after EU leaders at a summit in Brussels last week backed a strategy aimed at reducing the bloc's dependency on China for key tech and components.
The EU has said relations will depend on China's approach to the war in Ukraine and has urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to "press Russia to stop".
But the 27-nation bloc insists it is not looking to "decouple" from the world's second-largest economy entirely, even as it seeks new supply lines for critical materials elsewhere.
EU states, with their disparate economic and political interests, have long struggled to fashion a united stance on China, and the United States has pushed them to take a tougher line.
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