Chinese FM tells American representatives five certainties about China

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with representatives from the National Committee on United States-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council and the United States Chamber of Commerce in New York, the United States, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with representatives from the National Committee on United States-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council and the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Wang said that the world today is far from peace, as the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to end, and the Ukraine crisis was inflamed.

Considering the China-U.S. relationship is now at a low ebb since the establishment of diplomatic ties, many people are concerned that the two countries are entering a new Cold War, he said.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of then U.S. President Richard Nixon's visit to China and the publication of the Shanghai Communique, and it is an important year to sum up experience and set out on a new journey, Wang said.

Against the current decline in certainties and the rise in uncertainties over the prospects of China-U.S. ties, Wang elucidated five "certainties" about China:

First, the prospects of China's own development are certain, he said, noting that the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will plan and formulate the next development blueprint and goals of the country.

The Chinese economy possesses enough scale and resilience. In China's endeavor to realize modernization, more than 1.4 billion people are striving toward common prosperity, which will provide more market and development opportunities for countries around the world, including the United States, he said.

Second, China's resolution in reform and opening-up remains certain, Wang said, noting China will continue to deepen its reform, open wider to the world, establish a new system for higher-level openness, build an open world economy, and further promote economic globalization.

Third, China's policy toward the United States is certain, Wang said, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between China and the United States, and U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly emphasized that the United States does not seek a new Cold War with China, that it does not aim to change China's system, that the revitalization of its alliance is not targeted at China, that the United States does not support "Taiwan independence" and that it has no intention to seek a conflict with China.

The key is that the United States should return to a rational and practical China policy at an early date, he said.

Fourth, China's attitude of continuing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is certain, Wang said, adding that China welcomes the development of U.S. enterprises in China and will continue to provide a market-oriented, internationalized and legalized business environment.

Wang noted that China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation should do more addition instead of subtraction, join hands instead of letting go of each other's hands, and tear down walls instead of erecting walls.

For their respective concerns, he added, the two sides should hold talks instead of confronting each other, negotiate instead of coercing each other.

Fifth, China's willingness to carry out multilateral coordination with the United States is certain, Wang said. History has proven and will continue to prove that China-U.S. cooperation can accomplish many important tasks that are beneficial to both countries and the world. Therefore, the two sides should uphold the political foundation of bilateral relations, particularly earnestly abide by the one-China principle.

Some Americans claim that China is the only country capable of challenging the present international system, which is not the fact, Wang stressed.

China is a builder and beneficiary of the present international system, so is surely a defender of it, Wang said, adding that it is not necessary for China to create another system.

What China opposes is unilateral bullying and the Cold War mindset, Wang said, urging both sides to jointly conform to basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter and universally recognized international laws.

Stressing that China-U.S. relations concern the destiny of both countries as well as world peace and stability, Wang said both sides should work together to find a way of peacefully coexistence for two major countries with different social systems, histories and cultures.

Wang encouraged the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, U.S.-China Business Council, and American Chamber of Commerce to be guardians of mutually beneficial cooperation, promoters of peaceful coexistence, and facilitators of friendly mutual trust, and to play an active role in returning China-U.S. relations to a healthy and stable development track.

Noting the serious challenges facing the U.S.-China relations, the American representatives said that, as the two largest economies in the world interdependent with each other, the United States and China will bring more benefits to people of both countries and the world if they can manage well bilateral ties, reduce impediments and negative factors, and jointly tackle challenges of climate change, public health, food and energy security.

U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation has brought tangible benefits to both sides, and the American business community is committed to long-term operation in China, they said.

In the spirit of cooperation, the two sides should work in the right direction, continue to conduct constructive, multi-level and fruitful dialogues, build small steps into great achievements, enhance mutual trust and contribute to world peace, stability and prosperity, they said.