FM hopes US Congress will play a more positive role

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with a US congressional delegation led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in Beijing, Oct 9, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed his hope that members of the United States Congress will understand China more accurately, view China more objectively, and manage differences between the two sides more rationally, so as to "play a constructive role in bringing China-US relations back to the track of healthy development".

Wang made the remarks when meeting with a bipartisan delegation from the US Senate led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in Beijing on Monday.

Wang welcomed Schumer and his delegation visiting China for face-to-face exchanges.

China and the US have different social systems, histories and cultures, and stages of development. Both sides should respect the development path chosen by each other's people, respect each other's core interests, and respect each other's right to development, he said.

He noted that the principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping is a reflection of the ups and downs of China-US relations over the past 50 years and it points to the right way for major countries to get along in the new era.

During the talks, Wang elaborated on China's position on Taiwan question as well as Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Wang said the world today is in a period of turbulent changes.

"These challenges need to be tackled jointly by the international community, and China and the United States have their due roles to play," he said.

The two sides have recently carried out a series of important dialogues and exchanges, which have been welcomed by all walks of life in the two countries and the international community.

Wang said this fully demonstrates that pushing China-US relations to stop worsening and stabilize is the right move, which is in the common interests of the two countries and the world.

He said the two sides should effectively implement the important consensus achieved at the meeting between the two heads of state in Bali, Indonesia, last year, and strive for a real stabilization of China-US relations, which will benefit both countries and the world.

The visiting US lawmakers including Schumer introduced the views of the US side over relevant topics.

They expressed their willingness to strengthen contact and dialogue with China in the spirit of frankness and mutual respect, responsibly manage differences and avoid conflicts.

They said that the US does not seek to decouple from China, and that the stable development of US-China relations is beneficial to the US and to the world.

The dialogue between the two sides has been very useful and they hope that it will continue, they added.