By David Lawder

GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Saturday she had “productive conversations” with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on the bilateral economic relationship after two days of meetings in China’s southern export hub of Guangzhou.

“The U.S. seeks to create a level playing field for American workers and firms, as well as deeper cooperation on illicit finance, climate change and other priorities,” Yellen said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Her post did not directly mention her top priority for her four day visit to China: to try to persuade Chinese officials to rein in excess production capacity for electric vehicles, solar panels and other clean energy technology that are threatening competing firms in the U.S. and other countries.

Chinese state media pushed back on her excess capacity arguments, calling them a “pretext” for protectionist U.S. policies.

Such comments seek to undermine China’s domestic growth and international cooperation, and Washington should focus on fostering innovation and competitiveness within its own borders instead of resorting to “fear-mongering,” state news agency Xinhua said in an editorial late on Friday.

Yellen, He Lifeng and their teams held over four and a half hours worth of meetings on Saturday on a range of economic topics, with U.S. concerns about China’s growing exports of electric vehicles, solar panels and other goods the biggest priority for the Treasury chief.

Yellen is expected to speak with reporters later on Saturday.

Yellen told U.S. businesspeople in China’s southern export hub of Guangzhou on Friday that concerns are growing over the global economic fallout from China’s excess manufacturing capacity, making the issue the focus of her four days of meetings with Chinese officials.

Citing China’s overproduction of electric vehicles, solar panels, semiconductors and other goods that are flooding into global markets in the face of a demand slump in China’s domestic market, Yellen said this was not healthy for China and was hurting producers in other countries.

“Talking up ‘Chinese overcapacity’ in the clean energy sector also smacks of creating a pretext for rolling out more protectionist policies to shield U.S. companies,” Xinhua said.

“After all, it is now known by the world that Washington will not hesitate to show its protectionist teeth under the guise of national security in areas where its supremacy is challenged.”

Yellen met with Vice Premier He Lifeng and Guangdong Province Governor Wang Weizhong in Guangzhou after arriving in China late on Thursday.

She is to travel later on Saturday to Beijing, where she will meet officials including Premier Li Qiang, Finance Minister Lan Foan and People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng through Monday, according to a Treasury press advisory.