One of China's top finance officials has made a plea for greater understanding of his country's contribution to the US economy, saying its supply of cheap goods and capital in recent years has helped to moderate inflation and fuel growth.

Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Construction Bank (CCB), the country's second-largest domestic lender, said he understood that some US critics were only protecting their own national interest, but that conclusions should be based "on raw facts".