Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday said it is hoped that the U.S. side will work with China to maintain stable and predictable China-U.S. economic and trade relations.

Li made the remarks when meeting with a visiting delegation of U.S. senators led by Steve Daines in Beijing.

Li recalled that the phone talks between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in February provided strategic guidance on promoting development of China-U.S. relations, noting that China stands ready to work together with the United States to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance dialogue and communication, strive for more practical cooperation achievements between the two countries, deliver more benefits to the people, and contribute certainty and positive energy to the world.

China hopes that the U.S. side will work with China in the same direction, engage in more dialogue rather than confrontation, and have more mutually beneficial cooperation rather than zero-sum games, so as to maintain a stable and predictable China-U.S. economic and trade relations, Li said.

The Taiwan question is part of the core interests of China, and is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations, Li noted, saying that it is hoped that the U.S. Congress will prudently view and handle issues related to China, and play a positive role in the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.