Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Monday the United States and China could work together on issues like climate change and the coronavirus pandemic if they repaired their damaged bilateral relationship, Reuters reported.

Wang, a Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, said Beijing stood ready to reopen constructive dialogue with Washington after relations between the two countries sank to their lowest in decades under former US president Donald Trump.

At a forum sponsored by the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang called on Washington to remove tariffs on Chinese goods and abandon what he said was an irrational suppression of the Chinese tech sector; steps he said would create the "necessary conditions" for cooperation.

Wang urged Washington to respect China's core interests, stop "smearing" the ruling Communist Party, stop interfering in Beijing’s internal affairs, and stop "conniving" with separatist forces for Taiwan's independence.

"Over the past few years, the United States basically cut off bilateral dialogue at all levels," Wang said in prepared remarks translated into English.

"We stand ready to have candid communication with the US side, and engage in dialogues aimed at solving problems."

Wang pointed to a recent call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden as a positive step.