The national flags of the United States and China fly at the Fairmont Peace Hotel on April 25, 2024 in Shanghai, China.
Wang Gang China Visual Group | Getty Images
China is willing to be a partner and friend with the United States, China’s ambassador to Washington said, seeking to strengthen the dialogue between the two largest economies in the world.
China has no plans to surpass or replace the United States, Xie Feng said in a speech in Hong Kong on Friday, addressing Chinese officials and the US ambassador to China.
Beijing is seeking to reset relations with Washington before Donald Trump returns to the presidency in January.
Trump has promised to impose tariffs on Chinese imports of more than 60%, but Beijing and Chinese companies hope that the protectionist policy will also irritate US allies in Europe and Asia, giving China an opening to increase its global influence and improve trade relations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Friday to reject unilateralism and protectionism in favor of economic globalization.
However, some analysts say China’s balance with the Trump-led United States has lost its luster compared to 2016, when Trump was first elected.
The Sino-US partnership has never been a zero-sum game, Xie said, adding that the two countries have great potential to work together in areas including trade, agriculture, energy, artificial intelligence and public health.
Xie stressed the “tone of dialogue” to address the concerns of each side, saying “it is possible to bring issues to the table to communicate honestly, find solutions on a common basis”.
He said that Taiwan is the biggest “flashpoint” that could lead to conflict and confrontation between Beijing and Washington and called for clear opposition to “separatism” in Taiwan.
China considers democratically-ruled Taiwan its own territory, a claim Taipei denies.
