The US is to blame for recent tensions in Sino-US ties and must take steps to repair the damage, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) said yesterday, indicating no let-up in their diplomatic row.
Wen accused Washington of violating China’s sovereignty when it approved the sale of billions of dollars in weapons to Taiwan in January, and again when US President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama at the White House last month.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated over a series of other issues — Google’s threat to leave China over cyber attacks and Web censorship, a string of trade disputes and the value of the yuan.
Wen, addressing hundreds of reporters at the end of the National People’s Congress, said relations between the world’s biggest and third-largest economies “got off to a good start” after Obama took office in January last year.
Washington’s moves on Taiwan and Obama’s meeting with the exiled spiritual leader, however, “violated China’s sovereignty” and provoked “serious disturbances” in ties.
“The responsibility does not lie with the Chinese side, but with the US,” Wen said.
“We hope the US will face the issues squarely and take concrete steps” to remedy the situation, he said, while declining to offer specifics.
“A peaceful US-China relationship makes both countries winners,” Wen told reporters.
“It’s better to have dialogue rather than confrontation, cooperation rather than containment and partnership rather than rivalry,” he said.
Washington in January approved the sale of US$6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan.
Last month, Obama met the Dalai Lama at the White House.
On the yuan, Wen warned foreign countries it would resist outside pressure, after Obama last week called on Beijing to adopt a “market-oriented” policy on the currency, which has been effectively pegged to the dollar since the middle of 2008.
“We are opposed to the practice of engaging in mutual finger-pointing among countries or taking strong measures to force other countries to appreciate their currencies,” Wen said.
Washington has led calls for a stronger yuan, saying the currency is kept intentionally low to boost Chinese exports.
Asked about the flap surrounding Google, Wen tip-toed around the question, repeating only that China was open to foreign companies wishing to set up shop in the Asian giant.
“China will unswervingly pursue the policy of opening up to the outside world. Foreign businesses are welcome to come to China to establish businesses … according to the law,” the premier said.
Wen said foreign businesses would enjoy the same treatment as local companies and expressed the hope that they would build more research and development centers.
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