BEIJING - Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged the US to provide a fair competition environment for Chinese companies operating in that country.

Xi made the remarks when meeting former US Secretary of Treasury Henry M. Paulson in Beijing.

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China's investment in foreign markets has grown substantially in recent years, with the country's outward foreign direct investment in 2009 reaching about $48 billion, the sixth largest in the world. However, China's investments in the United States are disproportionately low.

"The Chinese and the US economies are highly complementary. It is in the fundamental interest of the two peoples to develop a reciprocal trade relationship so that the two sides can enjoy broad cooperation in the areas of energy and the environment, technology and infrastructure, among others," Xi said.

He also urged the United States to ease restrictions on high-tech products being exported to China.