Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday urged the United States to respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Wen made the remarks at the start of a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will conclude a two-day stop in China on Wednesday, part of a six-nation Asia tour.

Wen said that Clinton’s visit comes at a key moment in bilateral relations and is of great significance.

“China-US relations have been carried forward in general, but I’ve worried lately,” Wen said. “We should have mutual political respect and strategic trust.”

The US should take into account China’s core interests and the feelings of its people, Wen said.

Wen also called on the US to play a positive role in regional dialogue and cooperation, so as to maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity.

And in face of the gloomy situation of the global economy, the two sides should join hands to make large-scale investments and set up financial cooperation projects to achieve win-win results, he said.