China’s senior diplomat, Wang Yi, delivered a pointed critique against the United States on Thursday, accusing it of perpetuating a flawed perception of China and leveraging trade restrictions and trade barriers to impede Beijing’s progress. Despite recent dialogues aimed at thawing bilateral relations, including a notable discussion between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco last November, Wang expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of follow-through on US commitments.
Speaking at a press conference during the National People’s Congress, Wang questioned the equity of a global order that permits one nation’s prosperity at the expense of others’ developmental rights. He urged the United States to adopt a balanced and realistic viewpoint towards China, stressing Beijing’s dedication to a peaceful coexistence strategy while cautioning that a fixation on constraining China could ultimately prove counterproductive.
Wang’s comments extended to critiquing US initiatives to restrict China’s access to essential technologies like semiconductors, interpreting these actions as part of a broader containment strategy. Addressing the Taiwan issue, he reaffirmed Beijing’s stance on the island being an inseparable part of China’s territory and cautioned against international support for Taiwan independence, framing it as a peril to cross-strait peace and stability.
He also dismissed the impact of Taiwan’s recent presidential election outcome, which favored a candidate viewed by Beijing as inclined towards independence, asserting such developments do not sway the overarching trend toward unification. On the South China Sea disputes, Wang advocated for resolution through dialogue among the directly involved parties and suggested external entities, subtly referencing the US, should refrain from aggravating the situation.
Highlighting China’s international relations strategy, Wang underscored the importance of strategic cooperation with Russia as pivotal for global equilibrium and as a countermeasure to the US-led international framework. He also signaled China’s intent to fortify ties with the European Union, championing autonomy to deter alignment with US-centric blocs. An announcement of a new unilateral visa-free policy for select European countries underscored this outreach.
Wang’s statements arrive at a moment of heightened global tension, covering a spectrum from trade and technology access disputes to geopolitical confrontations over Taiwan and the South China Sea. Notably absent from his remarks was any mention of deteriorating Sino-Japanese relations, despite recent contentious issues.
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