China is willing to play a “constructive” role in the success of the APEC summit in San Francisco, its top diplomat said yesterday, after the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at an annual G20 summit in India.
“As the world’s largest developing country and an important member of APEC, China is willing to comply with the expectations of the international community and play a constructive role in the success of APEC this year,” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) said.
Xi did not go to the G20 summit in New Delhi this month, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強) attending in his place. That prompted the US to say that China was “giving up” on the G20 and was building an alternative world order.
Photo: AFP
“Of course, we and all parties hope that the United States will recognize its responsibility as the host, demonstrate openness, fairness, inclusiveness and responsibility, and create better conditions for the smooth holding of the meeting,” Wang said at a news conference when asked whether Xi would attend the APEC summit.
China is in communication with the relevant parties and would make an announcement in due time, Wang added.
Dialogue between China and the US has been gradually resuming despite tensions between the two superpowers, especially over Taiwan. Expectations are building that Xi would meet with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the APEC summit after missing a chance for a face-to-face meeting at the G20 in India.
At the same news conference, Wang said, without naming any nation, that China opposed “wanton” expansion of military alliances that squeeze the security space of other nations.
Beijing has been critical of Washington’s continued attempts to deepen military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. It has particularly disapproved of bases that the US military is building in the north of the Philippines facing Taiwan.
China has long advocated partnerships rather than alliances and is not part of any military bloc. Its sole remaining ally after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 is North Korea, to which China is bound by a 1961 treaty to come to its defense if it is attacked.
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