China’s ambassador to Washington said that China wants to be a partner and friend of the United States, seeking to enhance dialogue between the two largest economies in the world.
In a speech he delivered in Hong Kong on Friday, addressing Chinese officials and the US ambassador to China, Xie Feng said that China has no plan to overtake or replace the United States.
Beijing is seeking to reset relations with Washington before Donald Trump returns to the presidency in January.
Trump has pledged to impose tariffs on Chinese imports exceeding 60%, but Beijing and Chinese companies hope his protectionist policies will also anger US allies in Europe and Asia, giving China an opportunity 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 role as a counterweight to Trump’s United States has lost its luster compared to 2016, when Trump was first elected.
Xie said the China-US partnership is never a zero-sum game, 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 “dialogue tone” to address each side’s concerns, saying, “It is entirely possible to put issues on the table to communicate frankly and seek solutions on an equal footing.”
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 “separatists” in Taiwan.
China considers democratically ruled Taiwan its territory, something Taipei rejects.