State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivers a speech by video at an online forum on "Henry Kissinger and the China-U.S. relations" on May 31, 2022. (Photo/fmprc.gov.cn)
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed cooperation over competition in China-U.S. relations, saying on Tuesday it is the responsibility and obligation of the two countries to jointly advance the building of an interconnected, diversified and inclusive world with shared security.
In a speech delivered by video at an online forum on "Henry Kissinger and the China-U.S. relations", Wang warned that if Washington continues to define its relations with Beijing as major-country competition and set its policy objective towards a zero-sum game, it will drag the two countries into a state of confrontation and conflict, and push the world into division and turbulence.
Noting that the China-U.S. relationship is now mired in an abnormal climate and encountering increasing challenges, Wang said the historical narrative is being artificially distorted and its development risks the danger of taking a wrong path.
Claims that engagement between China and the U.S. is failing, dialogue is futile and win-win cooperation is nothing but a political slogan give no respect to history and also disregard the facts, he said.
Wang warned the U.S. not to challenge China on the Taiwan question, saying if the U.S. keeps backsliding on Taiwan, it will fundamentally damage peace across the Taiwan Straits and eventually hurt itself.
"The China-U.S. relations should not deteriorate further, and the right choice must be made," Wang said.
He urged Washington to abandon its Cold War mentality with a correct strategic understanding about China, properly manage its differences with Beijing and jointly consolidate their political foundations, and get out of a competitive logic to enhance communication and cooperation with China.
Saying the overriding task for China is to develop its economy to live up to the aspiration for a better life, Wang noted the extreme anxiety of the U.S. about China"s growth is completely unnecessary.
People in the U.S. should not hesitate to continue to inject positive energy into China-U.S. relations, while people from all walks of life in both countries should no longer be silent but speak up to bring new hope to the people of the two nations, he said.
The symposium, hosted by the Chinese People"s Institute of Foreign Affairs, reviewed the contributions that former U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger made to push forward the development of China-U.S. relations and discussed issues concerning bilateral ties.
During the discussions at the forum, senior diplomats from both countries, including Kissinger, former U.S. Ambassador to China J.Stapleton Roy, former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, former Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai, all called for dialogue between China and the U.S. to find areas of cooperation despite their differences in order to move the bilateral ties toward a right direction.
"We have a few years of problems in Sino-U.S. relations, and we need a serious dialogue to deal with them," said Kissinger. "We have to begin to define for each other what we consider as the obstacles to progress and what we consider as goals we can achieve."
A way should be found in which the two sides can talk to each other without threats, and then develop concepts where they can both contribute to the evolution of world toward peace and prosperity, he said.
