BEIJING, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao said Wednesday his government was ready to embrace a partnership of "non-conflict" with the United States.
Li met in Beijing with visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. The bilateral meeting comes amid tensions over China's decision to unilaterally establish an air defense zone in the East China Sea.
Li said Beijing was interested in establishing a long-term amicable relationship with the United States.
"China is ready to translate the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation to every aspect of the China-U.S. relationship," he was quoted by China's official Xinhua News Agency as saying Wednesday.
Washington and its allies in the Asia-Pacific have expressed concern over the air defense zone, which extends over uninhabited islands claimed by both China and Japan.
Washington has treaty obligations to defend Japan's interests.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Tuesday the government was questioning the relevancy of strategic alliances in the region.
"Some external powers and regional members show their support," he was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "But for China, it is already an outdated concept in international relations, and does not fit with the new type of state-to-state relations."
