Visiting Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong has encouraged US companies to carry out broader and greater cooperation with China.

Liu arrived in San Francisco late on Sunday from Seattle on her trip of official visit to the United States.

During her stay in Seattle, Liu visited Microsoft headquarters and Boeing facilities and was briefed by the two companies about their research and development strategies as well as their operations in China.

Liu spoke highly of the measures taken by the two companies to make big investment in research and development in spite of the global financial crisis.

China looks forward to expanding exchange and cooperation with US technology companies, and will strive to boost China-US cooperation in science and technology to a new high, Liu said.

The state councilor added that the Chinese government would continue to adhere to the policy of opening up and to expand international exchange and cooperation in science and technology through various mechanisms.

With due protection of intellectual property rights, universities, scientific institutions and corporations in the United States and China could jointly build research centers and laboratories to promote the industrialization of research findings, Liu said.

On their part, both Microsoft and Boeing executives expressed their confidence in China's future development and in their cooperation with the country. They pledged to further cooperate with the Chinese side to contribute to the economic development of the two countries and global economic recovery.