China expects rational perception from Washington about bilateral ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Sept. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Instead of having it both ways by seeking containment on one hand and requesting cooperation on the other, the United States should derive its China policy from a rational perception about China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Friday.

"The United States should not always approach China with two faces: On the one hand encircling and suppressing China brazenly, and on the other hand, having dialogue and cooperation with China as if nothing is wrong," said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

"Since the United States has expressed multiple times that it has no intention to have conflict with China, then fundamentally, it needs to establish a rational perception of China, and find the right way to get along with it," said the veteran Chinese diplomat.

"The United States needs to carry out dialogue with respect, advance cooperation in the spirit of reciprocity, and address differences with great prudence, rather than act willfully as it sees fit from a position of strength or use previous mistakes as excuses to make more mistakes," Wang said on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On the Taiwan question, Wang said that "if the United States truly hopes to see peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, it should abide by the one-China principle, implement the three China-U.S. Joint Communiqués, stop arming Taiwan, publicly oppose 'Taiwan independence,' and support the peaceful reunification of China."

Wang went on to say that China "is firmly opposed to U.S. suppression in trade and technology," and that China "will never accept finger-pointing by human rights preachers, still less interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights."

Highlighting the importance of people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, Wang urged the U.S. side to "remove obstacles with real actions."

Wang articulated China's firm position on the South China Sea issue. He said that China remains committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation with countries directly concerned.

The United States should not stir up trouble in the South China Sea, or undermine regional countries' efforts to safeguard peace and stability there, Wang added.

On the Ukraine issue, Wang said China's position is aboveboard. China has been committed to promoting talks for peace and has been making its efforts toward peaceful settlement.

The United States should stop smearing, scapegoating and arbitrarily imposing sanctions on China, and stop using this issue to create antagonism and incite camp-based confrontation, Wang said.

The two sides agreed that the meeting was candid and substantive, and that China and the United States need to find a way to live alongside one another in peace in the indefinite future.

The two sides will continue to implement the important common understandings of the two presidents in San Francisco in last November, engage in dialogue and cooperation, and properly manage differences to work toward stable, healthy and sustainable development of bilateral relations.

The two sides agreed to maintain communication on international and regional hotspot issues, and hold a new round of consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs in due course.