China is taking steps to resolve the problem of the trade deficit between China and the United States, and hopes the United States will lift the restrictions on its exports to China so as to expand bilateral trade, a Chinese official said here Wednesday.

    "We didn't deny there is the trade deficit between China and the United States, and we are making great efforts to resolve the problem by increasing import purchase orders from the United States," said He Yafei, Foreign Ministry director-general of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs.

    He said the Chinese side also hopes the US side will take measures to loose its restrictions on exports to China. "If those export restrictions are removed, the trade between China and the United States will be greatly increased," He said.

    He said with the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, China is facing increasing demands on electricity. As a result, the Chinesegovernment is working on introducing nuclear techniques from foreign countries.

    Upon the upcoming China visit of the US Vice President Dick Cheney, He said the Chinese side hopes China and the United States can make progress in import of nuclear techniques.

    "Just like Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said during his US visit at the end of last year, the Sino-US trade deficit should be resolved in a win-win way," said He. "Thus the US side should increase exports to China rather then cut its exports."

    According to the director, the Sino-US trade has increased nearly 50 times since 1972 when the two countries established diplomatic ties. During the first two months of this year, US exports to China increased by 52.3 percent over the same period oflast year.

    In addition, He said the US unemployment problem should not be blamed on China. Analysis by economists from the United States andother foreign countries has shown that the trade deficit with China is not the cause of US job losses, the director added.

    The Sino-US trade volume accounts for less than one percent of the US GDP (gross domestic product), which is too low to influencethe US economy, said He.

    On the Renminbi exchange rate, He said both China and the United States have discussed this issue at all levels.

    He said for a long-term view, China will form its currency mechanism based on the market, but at the current stage, any change of China's currency system will influence the Asian financeand economy.

    US Vice President Cheney will pay a working visit to China from April 13 to 15 at the invitation of Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong. China and the United States are busy preparing for this upcoming visit, which is expected to boost bilateral relationship.

    He Yafei said the past couple of years saw big progress in Sino-US relations, and the contacts and visits between their leaders were frequent. Cooperation between the two nations has been fruitful in a wide range of areas such as anti-terrorism, non-traditional security and epidemic prevention, noting that the cooperation is conducive to the stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

    He said the Sino-US cooperation has benefited both the Chinese and American peoples, hoping the US side will continue to follow the principle of substantive cooperation and develop bilateral ties.

    He admitted there are differences between China and the US, but pointed out that both as influential countries regionally and globally and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, cooperation should stand out prominentlyin the two nations' ties. And their differences mainly lie in the Taiwan issue, He said.    

    The Taiwan question is very important to the Chinese people, for it concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the Taiwan issue forms the most important and most delicate topic of the Sino-US relations, he stressed.

    So long as principles of the three Sino-US joint communiques are closely followed, the two countries' relations will go on a sound track, He said.