China has called on the US to stabilise its economy and protect Beijing's US investments amid the global financial crisis.
"We hope the US side will take the necessary measures to stabilise the economy and financial markets," Wang Qishan, the Chinese vice-premier, told Henry Paulson, the visiting US treasury secretary as they began talks on Thursday.
Speaking at the start of the biannual Strategic Economic Dialogue in Beijing, Wang also urged Washington to "guarantee the safety of China's assets and investments in the United States".
China is a major owner of US treasury debt that finances Washington's budget deficit, and the dollar's recent weakness and US financial turmoil have fuelled Chinese anxiety about the safety of such holdings.
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