BEIJING: US President Barack Obama on Wednesday met Premier Wen Jiabao for the last official talks of his trip to China, aimed at solidifying ties with the rising Asian giant.

Obama and Wen hailed efforts by both sides to build a new, in-depth partnership as they sat down for discussions before a working lunch in Beijing.

"Dialogue is better than confrontation and partnership is better than rivalry," Wen said in his opening remarks.

"I sincerely hope that by making this visit to China, Mr President, we will be able to take the comprehensive, cooperative relationship between the two countries to a new level."

Obama -- joined for the talks by key ministers including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu -- described his talks since arriving in China on Sunday as "productive".

"A relationship that used to be focused just on economic and trade issues is now expanding to deal with a whole host of global issues in which US-China cooperation is critical," he said.

On Tuesday, Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to work together on a number of issues including climate change and North Korea, but differences were evident on other key questions such as Iran and the value of the yuan.

Obama was to visit China's Great Wall before heading to South Korea for the final stop on his four-nation Asia tour.