As two countries with different social systems, China and the US naturally have differences and disagreements, said Foreign Minister…reports Asian Lite News
Beijing says differences and disagreements with Washington are natural as two countries have different social systems, reports Asian Lite News
Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi said that Beijing is ready to work with the US to bring bilateral relations back on the right track.
Making the remarks at a press conference, Wang said the two sides should follow through on the outcomes of the phone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart President Joe Biden on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year last month, and set bilateral relations on a new path of healthy and steady growth.
As two countries with different social systems, China and the US naturally have differences and disagreements, the Foreign Minister said.
“What matters most is to manage them effectively through candid communication to prevent strategic miscalculation and avoid conflict and confrontation,” he said.
‘Beijing hopes’
It is not surprising that there is competition between China and the US as their interests are intertwined, but the two sides should have healthy competition on the basis of fairness and equity, Wang said.
Beijing hopes that the US will meet China half way and remove all its unreasonable restrictions on bilateral cooperation as early as possible, and not create new obstacles, the State Councillor said, noting that Beijing is ready to work with Washington in fields including anti-pandemic fight, economic recovery and climate change.
Wang also said that China welcomed the US’ return to the Paris Agreement and expects that Washington will “shoulder its responsibility and make its due contribution”.
“We hope that renewed China-US cooperation on climate change will bring positive ‘climate change’ to the (bilateral) relations.”
In the last two years, tensions between the world’s two largest economies escalated.
The former administration of US President Donald Trump had levied tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods, to which Beijing also responded with duties of its own.
China has been very aggressive, says US
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said China has been “aggressive” in the region and in some cases they have been “coercive.”
“China has been busy modernizing its military and developing capabilities and trying to close the competitive edge that we have always enjoyed,” Austin told ABC News on a talk show.
“They have also been very aggressive in the region. In some cases, they have been coercive. And some of that coercion has been directed against our allies. And our allies are very important to us,” he said, referring to Beijing’s disputes with its neighbours.
China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.
China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade.
President Joe Biden in his foreign policy address had described China as the “most serious competitor” to the US and vowed to confront Beijing on various fronts, including human rights, intellectual property and economic policy.
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