CHINA called for dialogue rather than confrontation as US Senator Steve Daines, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, met Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang in Beijing today.

Mr Daines, who also acted as an unofficial envoy of Mr Trump to Chinese President Xi Jinping in the former’s first term, brought with him an array of US business leaders. The 2025 China Development forum kicked off in the country’s capital today, drawing in corporate chiefs from around the world including Apple’s Tim Cook and top execs from Siemens, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

“Our two sides need to choose dialogue over confrontation, win-win co-operation over zero-sum competition,” Mr Li said. Speaking later to business leaders, he told them to “resist unilateralism” and said China was ready for “shocks” that might result from US disruption of trade. Mr Trump has slapped high tariffs on Chinese goods.

Last week, the US president denied reports in the New York Times that his Department for Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk’s private briefings in the Pentagon concerned detailed plans for a war with China.