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Zhu
Guangyao, addressing an economic forum at a time of rising
tensions with Washington, said both countries should abandon a
"zero sum" mentality and seek to improve to improve economic and
trade cooperation.
"China will take appropriate steps to cope with a possible trade
war with the United States, including through bilateral
communications and the World Trade Organization," he said.
"We don't hope to see this happen. It could hurt both
countries," Zhu said.
But China will "unwaveringly safeguard" its core interests,
which he said involved "territorial integrity, sovereignty and
safety of political systems".
His comments come as relations between Beijing and Washington
have become more strained following the election of Donald Trump
as U.S. president.
Trump has promised to name China a currency manipulator on his
first day in office in January, and to slap 45 percent import
tariffs on Chinese goods.
Beijing lodged a diplomatic protest this month after Trump, a
Republican, spoke by phone with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen,
breaking with Washington's decades-old "one-China" policy.
On Friday, China's seizure of a U.S. underwater drone in the
South China sea triggered a formal diplomatic protest by the
U.S.
A state-run China newspaper said on Saturday that Beijing
expects a smooth resolution to the seizure by its navy of
"unidentified" equipment.
Zhu told Saturday's forum China hopes to seal a bilateral
investment treaty that's under negotiation with the United
States as soon as possible.
U.S. officials have said a negative investment list that greatly
reduces the number of sectors in China which are off-limits to
foreign investment is critical to reaching an agreement.
(Reporting by Kevin Yao; Writing by Josephine Mason; Editing by
Richard Borsuk)
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