Vice Premier Qichen Qian spoke about the future of relations between the U.S. and China. He stressed the need for both countries to stay engaged with each other, saying China wants a peaceful international environment. He pointed out that China has been wrongly accused of replacing the Soviet Union as a threat to the U.S. and said that China’s defense policies are completely defensive. He asked that a permanent solution to the Most Favored Nation issue be found. After his prepared remarks, he took questions from the audience. Translation into English was by interpreter.