China Embassy Refutes Report It’s Seeking Meeting With the U.S.

(Bloomberg) -- The Chinese embassy in the United States on Saturday refuted a Wall Street Journal report that said Beijing was pushing for a high-level meeting to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

China has discussed a proposal to send Politburo member Yang Jiechi to Washington, and Ambassador Cui Tiankai suggested the idea in letters to U.S. officials and through conversations with intermediaries, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

“This report is not true to facts. The Chinese side never wrote such letters,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement posted on its website Saturday that cited an unnamed spokesperson. “We hope the media concerned respect the facts and report on Sino-U.S. relations in an objective and responsible manner.”

Both China and the U.S. should focus on cooperation and manage their disputes in order to facilitate healthy and stable relations, according to the statement.