The world’s two largest economies are closely linked economically, the new prime minister said at his first press conference. “China and the US can and should work together,” said Li. “Containment and suppression are in nobody’s interest,” he added, echoing President Xi Jinping’s accusations that the US wants to prevent China’s rise through containment and isolation.
China-US ties have been tested in recent months by the downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon in US airspace.
On Saturday, Li, an ally of Xi, was appointed prime minister and head of the State Council. He is therefore responsible for the day-to-day management of the country and for macroeconomic policy.