Stronger China-US cooperation will drive economic growth in both countries, Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday.

If both countries work more closely to combine China's huge market and the leading technology of the United States, the cooperation will create a stronger impetus for economic growth and turn development opportunities into cooperative results, Li said at a seminar held with a delegation of US business leaders and former senior officials.

The delegation, headed by President of the US Chamber of Commerce Thomas Donohue, included former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, former US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez and a group of senior business executives.

Li said China-US relations are entering an important period. President Xi Jinping's upcoming summit with US President Barack Obama will chart a blueprint for a new type of bilateral relationship that features equality, trust, tolerance, cooperation and common prosperity, Li said.

Li called for both sides to respect each other on issues concerning their core interests, improve cooperation and play a positive role in safeguarding peace and stability in Asia and the world.

He said both countries' economies are in different stages of development but are still highly complementary.

Li said China is upgrading its economy and opening wider to the outside world, while the US is also restructuring its economy.

As the world's largest developing country, China's development is its biggest contribution to the world, Li said.

The premier said China will assume its responsibilities and work with the US to make efforts to promote global economic recovery.

Li said he hopes the fourth China-US business leaders' and former senior officials' dialogue, which ran from Tuesday to Wednesday in Beijing, will play a positive role in enabling both countries to deepen communication and expand pragmatic cooperation.

Donohue and several delegation members said the seminar will help US businessmen more fully understand the Chinese government's policies and give them more confidence in deepening cooperation with China.

They said they will work with the Chinese side to contribute to the development of bilateral relations.

Several US business leaders asked Li about China's reform and opening up, the development of its finance sector, energy security, the environment and China's energy cooperation with foreign countries.

(China Daily USA 06/05/2013 page1)