China’s relationship with the US has reached a “new crossroads” and could get back on the right track following a period of “unprecedented difficulty,” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) said in official comments published yesterday.
Relations between the world’s two biggest economies have come under increasing strain amid a series of disputes over trade, human rights and the origins of COVID-19.
In its latest move, the US blacklisted dozens of Chinese companies it said had ties to the country’s military.
Photo: Reuters
Wang said in a joint interview with Xinhua news agency and other state media that recent US policies toward China had harmed the interests of both countries and brought huge dangers to the world.
However, there was now an opportunity for the two sides to “open a new window of hope” and begin a new round of dialogue, he said.
The election of Joe Biden as US president has been widely expected to improve relations between Washington and Beijing after four years of escalating tensions under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Last month, Wang said he hoped the election of Biden would allow the US’ China policy to “return to objectivity and rationality.”
However, Biden, who is to take office on Jan. 20, has continued to criticize China for its “abuses” on trade and other issues.
Wang did not mention Trump or Biden by name, but he urged the US to “respect the social system and development path” chosen by China, adding that if Washington “learns lessons,” the conflicts between the two sides could be resolved.
“We know some people in the United States are apprehensive about China’s rapid development, but the most sustainable leadership is to constantly move forward yourself, rather than block the development of other countries,” he said.
Politicians in the US have accused China of covering up the outbreak of COVID-19 during its early stages, delaying its response, and allowing the disease to spread much further and faster.
However, Wang said China had done its utmost to combat the virus’ spread, “sounding the alarm” for the rest of the world.
“We raced against time, and were the earliest to report the epidemic to the world,” he said. “More and more studies show that the epidemic very probably emerged in many places throughout the world.”
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from