The US recession is not expected to affect overall China-US relations, the visiting US secretary of commerce said.

Carlos Gutierrez said he hopes the US economy's downturn wouldn't impact the countries' relationship, because bilateral relations are "bigger than" a single economic element, he told China Daily in an exclusive interview in Beijing yesterday.

"Today, we are going through a correction, and maybe one day, the Chinese economy will go through a correction," he said. "But that should not impact our fundamental relationship; that is one of our partnerships and one of our shared commitments."

Low demand in the US market drove China's surplus against the US to drop by 12.4 percent to US$16.1 billion in March - the lowest level in two years, according to US department of commerce statistics.

The US secretary met the commerce minister Chen Deming yesterday and is scheduled to meet Vice-Premier Wang Qishan today.

Gutierrez's trip to China comes on the heels of visits by US Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte and US Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt.

(China Daily May 15, 2008)