WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China must seize the "great opportunity" of cooperation to solve the common challenges facing the world today, said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Thursday.

"We can be certain that it will be a better future if the Chinese and American governments pursue cooperation over confrontation in the economic sphere," Locke said at a luncheon hosted by the U.S.-China Business Council in Washington.