Wu had foreseen China to be the third largest importer from the United States this year only after Canada and Mexico. China has been the fastest-growing export market for the US for five straight years and in the first nine months, China's imports from the US had exceeded $57 billion.

"We have seen expanding common interests shared by China and the United States," Wu said. "The communication and cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment and finance have reached unprecedented levels."

One instance was the surging mutual investment. She said that the United States had invested nearly $55.4 billion and set up 54,000 companies in China as of October. Similarly, China's investment in the United States approached nearly $3 billion.

Wu brushed aside worries that China would narrow down the range of its opening-up policies, saying the country would not change its stance in expanding the use of foreign capital. "China's door has been and will be resolutely opened to the outside world," she said.

Facing a more complex international financial environment and the long-accumulated deep-rooted problems in the national economy, China must remain sober-minded and seek a healthy and balanced development through deepened reforms and in opening itself wider to the world.

The JCCT, formed in 1983, has served as a bilateral venue for China and the United States to address trade and market access issues. The two countries will soon begin the 3rd China-US Strategic Economic Dialogue and the 5th Strategic Dialogue on Wednesday.