China is willing to be partners and friends with the United States, its Ambassador to Washington said in Hong kong on Friday.
The Chinese envoy is seeking to strengthen dialogue between the world’s two largest economies.
China has no plan to surpass or replace the United States, Xie Feng said while addressing Chinese officials and the U.S. Ambassador to China.
Beijing is seeking to reset relations with Washington ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in January.
China’s President Xi Jinping congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential win and urged both nations to find the “right way to get along”
Trump has pledged to impose tariffs on Chinese imports in excess of 60%, but Beijing and Chinese companies hope his protectionist policies will also irk U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, giving China an opening to increase its global influence and improve trade ties.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Friday for rejecting unilateralism and protectionism in favour of economic globalisation.
Stable, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relations serve the interests of both, Xi said on Thursday.
Xi further said that the international community would expect the two powers to “respect each other (and) co-exist peacefully.”
In a letter to the 2024 annual awards dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Xi said, “China is willing to be a partner and friend with the United States. This will benefit not only the two countries, but the world.”
Xi said that China-U.S. relations are among the most important bilateral relations in the world, which have a bearing on the future and destiny of mankind.
However, some analysts say China’s pitch as a counterbalance to a Trump-led United States has lost its shine compared to 2016, when Trump was first elected.
The Sino-U.S. partnership is never a zero-sum game, Xie said, adding that the two nations have great potential to work together in areas.
Xie listed trade, agriculture, energy, artificial intelligence and public health, as areas of collaboration.
Xie emphasised a “tone of dialogue” to address each side’s concerns, saying “it is entirely possible bring issues to the table to communicate frankly, seek solutions on equal footing”.
He said Taiwan is the biggest “flashpoint” that could lead to conflict and confrontation between Beijing and Washington and called for clear opposition to “separatists” in Taiwan.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim Taipei rejects.
