Chinese ambassador refutes "three wrong beliefs" on China-U.S. relations

Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2015 shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

"Some people believe that China is betting against America, and China's goal is to challenge and displace America. This is a serious misjudgment of China's strategic intention," said Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Some people in the United States are trying to deny the achievements of China-U.S. ties in the past 50 years and redefine bilateral relations by strategic competition, warned the Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang on Tuesday.

"Now the China-U.S. relationship has come to another historical juncture, and it faces a very severe situation. The extreme China policy of the previous U.S. administration has caused serious damage to our relations, and such a situation has not changed," Qin said in his keynote speech at the Welcome Event by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) Board of Directors.

"It goes against the fundamental interests of (the) Chinese and (the) American peoples and the wishes of the international community," he added.

There are "three wrong beliefs" on China-U.S. relations in the United States, noted the ambassador.

"Some people believe that China is betting against America, and China's goal is to challenge and displace America. This is a serious misjudgment of China's strategic intention," he said.

Everything the Communist Party of China (CPC) does is for the purpose of meeting the people's aspiration for a better life, he said.

Photo taken on Feb. 10, 2021 shows the Empire State Building lit up in red for the Chinese Lunar New Year, in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

"China never bets its own future on other countries. We only want to surpass ourselves. We never take surpassing the U.S. as our goal, and we never have the ambition to challenge and displace America, or to seek hegemony in the world," he said.

"China and the U.S. are inseparable stakeholders, and the success of one side is critical to the other. China does not bet against America. Instead, we are glad to see America resolve its problems by itself, not by undercutting other countries, or by prescribing medication for others," said Qin.

The ambassador said some people believe that America needs to deal with China from a position of strength.

"They think America can win the new 'Cold War' against China, just as it defeated the Soviet Union. This reflects a serious ignorance of history and China," he said.

"China is not the Soviet Union," he said. Under the leadership of the CPC, China's socialist democracy keeps improving, and the nation enjoys economic development, social stability and better livelihoods for the people, he added.

"China is closely linked to the U.S. and integrated with the world. China never engages in aggression or expansion. It never exports its political system or development model. It is committed to peaceful, open, cooperative and common development, and works to build a community with a shared future for mankind," said Qin.

Photo taken in Los Angeles County on March 26, 2020 shows donations from the Chinese-American community in Palos Verdes, Southern California, the United States. (Photo by Maggie Wang/Xinhua)

Moreover, the ambassador said, "some people believe that cooperation is being phased out by competition and confrontation. This is a very misleading perception for the prospects of China-U.S. relations."

"In fact, the need for China-U.S. cooperation is not decreasing, but increasing. Our two countries should not be enemies, but partners," he said.

The American business community in China value the Chinese market, they are optimistic about the Chinese economy, and they hope to stay in China and expand their investments. They are firmly opposed to the trade war, to decoupling, and to cutting off supplies to Chinese companies, he said.

"Currently, COVID-19 is still rapidly spreading worldwide. International terrorism is still active. Climate change has sent a "Code Red" to humanity. Regional hotspots keep surfacing. As two major countries, coordination and cooperation between China and the U.S. become all the more necessary and urgent. This is also the general expectation of the international community," he said.