The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is the first standard-gauge railway in East Africa and a flagship project between China and the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Having created more than 55,000 jobs for locals, the railway has greatly strengthened connectivity between Ethiopia and Djibouti and injected strong impetus into their economic and social development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.
A Chinese saying goes, "It is more important to teach people how to fish than just giving them fish." The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway is a good example, Wang said at a regular press conference.
China has not only constructed a modern railway in cooperation with Ethiopia and Djibouti, but also trained more than 2,800 local professionals, helping build an excellent local team, Wang said.
The Chinese management consortium of the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway recently transferred management responsibility to Ethiopia and Djibouti after six years of successful operation.
Since entering commercial operation on January 1, 2018, the 752-kilometer-long Ethiopia-Djibouti railway has operated over 2,500 passenger trains with a passenger volume of 680,000.
It has also operated more than 7,700 freight trains, with a cargo volume of 9.5 million tons in the same period, according to data the Chinese management contractor sent to the Global Times.
China will continue to cooperate with Ethiopia and Djibouti to build the railway toward win-win cooperation and prosperity, and will jointly promote the high-quality development of the BRI and contribute to the mutual development of China and Africa, Wang said.
After handing over management responsibility, the Chinese side will continue to provide technical support. The two sides also plan to continue cooperation in expanding supporting facilities so as to better unleash the potential of the railway to bring benefits to local people, Dai Hegen, chairman of China Railway Construction Corp, which is a contractor of the railway, was quoted as saying in a press release.
The project is a demonstration that underscores China's commitment to supporting Africa in realizing regional economic and social integration, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Such BRI projects have not only boosted geopolitical and political ties across Africa but also strengthened the continent's self-sufficiency, Song said, noting that China, as a committed supporter, has helped enlarge the development scope for Africa by providing more funds.
Song refuted US claims alleging Chinese aid to African countries had led to a "debt trap," saying that Washington is still stuck in the Cold War thinking and zero-sum games by smearing China. As China's influence in Africa grows, the US heavily emphasizes the concept of a "debt trap" to undermine China's relations with its African allies as well as China's own global reputation, according to Song.
"China's aid to Africa is geared toward fostering the continent's development, especially for nations that have challenges in securing external funding," Song said.
No country has fallen into debt difficulty because of cooperation with China, and no partner believes that China has led them into a "debt trap," a spokesperson from the China International Development Cooperation Agency said in April.
China-based online travel platforms reported a 40-percent jump in searches for keywords related to Cuba following the announcement of visa-free tour for Chinese travelers on May 5.
The new policy allows Chinese passport holders to enter Cuba visa-free this month, the country's minister for tourism Juan Carlos Garcia announced, in a move aimed at boosting engagement and cooperation between the two countries.
Havana also announced that China would be a guest country during Cuba's 2025 tourism festival, adding that direct air flights would resume on May 17.
Flights on a Beijing-Madrid-Havana route operated by Air China are set to resume on May 17, currently the only route between China and Cuba.
The visa exemption will ramp up Chinese people's interest in traveling to Latin America, a region boasting unique cultural and natural landmarks.
The recent opening and resumption of direct flights between China and Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and other Latin American destinations will significantly reduce the time and cost for Chinese travelers, according to Trip.com.
Another travel platform Qunar.com revealed that Cuba is a popular destination for 14-day tour packages in China, with the two most attractive cities being Havana and Varadero.
Local economies in China fared well in the first quarter by developing new quality productive forces, while domestic demand revived and industries grew robustly. The momentum will be sustained, observers said on Tuesday, after 31 provincial-level regions reported GDP growth figures.
A total of 13 province-level regions achieved GDP levels of more than 1 trillion yuan ($141.18 billion). The economies of South China's Guangdong Province and East China's Jiangsu Province, China's manufacturing hubs, each exceeded 3 trillion yuan - 3.15 trillion yuan for Guangdong and 3.10 trillion yuan for Jiangsu.
In terms of growth rates, 16 regions grew faster higher than the country's 5.3 percent increase, and eight localities reported GDP growth of more than 6 percent. Northeast China's Jilin Province led the nation with a 6.5 percent expansion, followed by Jiangsu and Chongqing at 6.2 percent each.
Economic powerhouse provinces played a vital role in bolstering China' s economic development and stabilizing the nation's fundamentals. Local economic progress was achieved by developing new quality productive forces, as their traditional industries are relatively mature, Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The stable growth of the powerhouses demonstrated the country's economic resilience and vitality, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Investment in emerging industries in Guangdong remained robust in the first quarter - up 22.4 percent in the advanced manufacturing sector and up 33.3 percent in the high-tech manufacturing sector.
Output of new-energy vehicles in Beijing grew by 2.4 times year-on-year in the first quarter while production of integrated circuits increased by 22.6 percent, according to media reports.
The added value of Jiangsu's manufacturing industry rose by 7.3 percent year-on-year, accounting for 35.9 percent of the provincial GDP. The rapid development of the private economy in Chongqing contributed 67.5 percent of its economic growth, driving up the local economy by 4.2 percentage points.
Thanks to its large real economy, China's monetary and fiscal policies have been able to diverge from global policies in a bid to stabilize economic growth, and policy implementation is dedicated to domestic market entities, Hu said.
China has been optimizing and adjusting its industrial structure by replacing low-end production capacity with high-end production capacity, Hu added.
Experts remain upbeat on China's economic recovery given these favorable conditions.
Supportive policies, a consumption rebound, the fast development of emerging industries and steady investment growth will continue to provide impetus to China's GDP growth, especially given the optimized industrial structure, Wang said.
The first-quarter figures were influenced by the resumption of production activities after the Spring Festival holidays. Hu said that second-quarter GDP growth should improve, and growth in the second half may further accelerate if the momentum is sustained.
A Chinese expert on Thursday slammed US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's latest remarks about taking "extreme action" against and banning Chinese connected vehicles, noting her remarks reflected the US' politicization of trade issues and harm the global auto supply chain.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Wednesday that the US could take "extreme action" and ban Chinese internet- connected vehicles or impose restrictions on them following a national security investigation by the Biden administration in February, according to Reuters.
"We have to digest all the data and then figure out what action that we want to take. We could take extreme action, which is to say no Chinese connected vehicles in the United States or look for mitigation," Raimondo said, in the first indication that a ban could be on the table following a national security probe.
"It's ridiculous to say Chinese-made vehicles pose national security risks since only a limited number of Chinese-made vehicles were imported to the US. Such remarks and actions are manifestations of the US politicization of auto trading," Wu Shuocheng, a veteran automobile industry analyst, told the Global Times on Thursday.
The US practice distorts fair competition and will seriously disrupt the global auto industry chain and supply chain, Wu noted.
Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that overstretching the concept of national security, and weakening or severing one's economic ties with other countries leads nowhere, and will only destabilize global industrial and supply chains, disrupt international trade order, and end up harming one's own interests. Lin urged the US to fulfill its commitment of not seeking to hold back China's economic growthnot containing China's economic development.
Raimondo's latest remarks came as the US continues to step up its reckless suppression of China's car industry. Chinese officials and analysts have repeatedly slammed the US measures as acts of politicizing economic and trade issues.
On February 29, the White House said that the Biden administration was opening an investigation into whether Chinese vehicle imports pose national security risks and it could impose restrictions due to concerns about "internet-connected" vehicle technology.
The spokesperson from China's Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning in March noted that Chinese-made cars are popular globally, not by using "unfair practices" but by emerging from fierce market competition with homegrown technological innovations and superb quality.
This is not the first time that US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo peddled the "national security threat" theory against Chinese vehicles. "Cars these days are like an iPhone on wheels… You connect your phone and you might receive the text message… Imagine a world with 3 million Chinese vehicles on the roads of America, and Beijing can turn them off at the same time," she once said.
In a response, Mao said the US side was creating a false narrative,which clearly reflects Washington's practice of making economic and trade issues into ones of politics and security.
"By that logic, shouldn't China be more worried about Washington's ability to get hundreds of millions of Apple phones of Chinese users to channel collected information back to the US, or even cause a blanket screen shutdown?"
"China's door has been open to global auto companies, including US auto companies that fully share in the dividends of China's big market. By contrast, the US has engaged in trade protectionism and set up obstacles including discriminatory subsidy policies to obstruct access to the US market by Chinese-made cars. Such acts of politicizing economic and trade issues will only hinder the development of the US auto industry itself," Mao said.
China urges the US to respect the laws of the market economy and the principles of fair competition, stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop its discriminatory suppression of Chinese companies, and uphold an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment, Mao said.
One student was killed and several were injured following a traffic accident in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu Province on Friday. Authorities said that initial investigations have shed light on faulty signal and negligent driving as the main cause.
The accident occurred when a bus carrying 45, including 39 students, collided with a dump truck. The students belonged to an elementary school located in Nantong's Chongchuan District and were heading for an art festival exhibition on Friday.
Eight people, including six students, were injured during the accident.
A rapid response effort was initiated following the accident, with local authorities swiftly deploying rescue workers. The injured were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Unfortunately, one student died from critical injuries sustained in the crash.
Authorities from Nantong traffic police told media on Saturday that the accident occurred at the intersection of Panxiang Road and Hongjiang Road in Chongchuan District. It was revealed that prior to the collision, both the bus and the dump truck were travelling in their respective lanes.
However, a faulty traffic signal at the intersection led to the incident. The bus, traveling from north to south at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, failed to stop at the intersection due to the non-functioning signal and driver's lack of cautious observation. Simultaneously, the dump truck, traveling from west to east at a speed exceeding 50 kilometers per hour, collided with the right front section of the bus. The driver of the dump truck was placed under control pending further investigation as he drove the vehicle in the restricted area, which violated regulations.
A shop clerk, surnamed Li, told Chinese media outlet thepaper.cn that she passed the intersection every day and the signal had been broken for a while, flashing abnormally. Passer-by and vehicles had been forced to stop and pass slowly after checking if there were vehicles in adjacent lanes.
In response to the incident, local Nantong officials swiftly established an accident investigation team, and conducted an inquiry to ascertain responsibility for the accident. Subsequent actions will entail the rigorous enforcement of relevant laws and regulations to hold accountable those individuals responsible.
Following the incident, authorities in Nantong swiftly moved to repair malfunctioning signals across the city.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday signed a joint statement on building a community with shared future in the new era in Belgrade, making Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China.
In the joint statement, the two countries decided to deepen and elevate the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership. Serbia was the first Central and Eastern European country to become China's comprehensive strategic partner eight years ago.
"It is a strategic choice made by both sides to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. Its goal is to realize the aspiration of the two peoples for a better life. Its foundation and driving force come from the firm support and extensive participation of the two peoples," Xi told reporters during a joint press conference with Vucic.
Xi also announced six measures to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future.
China is ready to import more quality and distinctive agricultural products from Serbia. China welcomes Serbia to increase direct flights between Belgrade and Shanghai, and encourages airlines from both sides to launch direct flights between Belgrade and Guangzhou.
The Chinese side will aid 50 young Serbian scientists in exchange programs with China for the next three years and a total of 300 Serbian youths will be invited to study in China in the next three years, said Xi.
China supports Serbia in hosting Expo 2027, and will send a delegation to participate in the grand show. China encourages its enterprises to take part in the construction of relevant projects, Xi said.
With joint efforts from China and Serbia, the free trade agreement between the two countries will take effect on July 1, Xi said.
During his talks with Vucic on Wednesday in Belgrade, Xi said bilateral relations between China and Serbia are richer in content and have become a model of friendly relations between China and European countries.
Xi called on China and Serbia to carry forward the innovative nature of bilateral relations, open up new prospects for cooperation, and make innovative cooperation a new growth point of bilateral ties.
Xi was greeted by tens of thousands of Serbians on Wednesday and a welcoming ceremony was held outside the Palace of Serbia before the meeting between the two leaders.
Chinese national flags and Chinese-language welcoming banners were hanging on landmark buildings in Belgrade on Wednesday.
Chinese and Serbian experts said the meeting between the two heads of state will continue to provide high-level guidance to the sound development of bilateral relationship for the years to come and further inject vitality into the time-weathered, ironclad friendship. Ironclad friendship
On Tuesday, a signed article by President Xi titled "May the Light of Our Ironclad Friendship Shine on the Path of China-Serbia Cooperation" was published in Serbian media Politika.
Xi noted in the article that "there has always been an affinity between Chinese and Serbian peoples despite the long distance between us. During the bitter Anti-Fascist War and our respective nation-building in the last century, the Chinese and Serbian peoples forged a strong friendship that extends through time and space."
"Amid the ongoing transformations unseen in a century in the world, our mutual support remains as strong as ever, our cooperation is closer, and our exchanges and mutual learning more substantive. Whatever changes in the international landscape, China and Serbia remain true friends and good partners. Our ironclad friendship is ever-growing, setting a model for state-to-state and people-to-people interactions," Xi wrote.
The long-lasting friendship and win-win cooperation between China and Serbia makes it clear to us that a stronger bilateral relationship conforms with the trend of history and serves the best interests of our two peoples. It also helps promote our common progress. On the new journey of the new era, the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership has more potential for further growth.
Xi said China and Serbia should always be good friends and treat each other with sincerity, good partners for win-win cooperation, play an exemplary role in promoting fairness and justice and strengthen the heart-to-heart connection between their two peoples.
Chinese and Serbian observers shared the consensus that since Xi’s last visit, bilateral cooperation has entered fast track with numerous notable fruits.
With China's support, hundreds of kilometers of highways have been built, the fastest railway in Eastern Europe entered operation, and energy facilities keep renewing, Boyan Lalic, Director of the Belt and Road Institute Belgrade, told the Global Times Wednesday.
The China-built high-speed railway connecting Belgrade to Novi Sad, inexpensive and comfortable, has cut the previously 1.5-hour trip to just 36 minutes, making a two-city life possible for many young people seeking opportunities, the Global Times learned.
The railway is part of a more ambitious project linking Belgrade and Budapest, the capital of Hungary, which could finish construction by 2026, according to estimate. The flagship project has created jobs, offered unique career experience and trainings, and has allowed people like Serbian engineer Aleksandra Milosavljevic to "make really good friends with my Chinese colleagues."
Bilateral trade soared from $596 million in 2016 to $4.35 billion in 2023 and China became the largest source of direct investment for Serbia in 2022, per official data.
Join hands on international stage
In the signed article, Xi wrote "Twenty-five years ago today, NATO flagrantly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia … This we should never forget. The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such tragic history to repeat itself."
The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples, and will inspire us to march forward with big strides, Xi wrote.
Dong Yifan, a research fellow at the Institute of European Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that both China and Serbia adhere to independence and non-alignment in their strategic approaches, choosing to follow their own development paths and opposing hegemony. "We share a strong consensus in international affairs."
The last stop of Xi's three-nation European trip is Hungary, during which a series of cooperation agreements are expected to be signed, according to media reports.
Both Serbia and Hungary are pillar countries in China-proposed BRI, and have long been at the forefront of European countries' relations with China with close cooperation, Dong said, adding that high-level diplomacy has played a key role in the two countries' relations with China.
He Zhigao, a research fellow with the Institute of European Studies of CASS, told the Global Times that Serbia and Hungary "stand out" among European countries in regard to developing China ties partly because they can overcome some external restraints and make more independent decisions based on their own interests.
Two people were killed and another 21 were injured following a stabbing incident at People's Hospital in Zhenxiong county, Zhaotong, Southwest China's Yunnan Province on Tuesday. The alleged murderer surnamed Li, a 40-year-old male local villager, was apprehended by the local police in the county around 5 pm on Tuesday and the investigation is underway, said the local police.
The incident occurred at a local hospital at around 11 am and the alleged murderer was identified by local government as a villager in Poji county in Zhenxiong, Zhenxiong's public security bureau said in a statement.
The alleged attacker, surnamed Li, is arrested, according to a Beijing News report. Local officials said that Li used a knife as the lethal weapon and after injuring people and fled to a construction site surrounded by repair factories and abandoned houses with complex terrain and no surveillance.
The injured are receiving medical treatment, and an investigation is under way, the bureau confirmed.
A witness at the hospital told Red Star News that there were doctors injured in the act, and that he was still in a trance after witnessing the attack.
A doctor at the hospital confirmed to Southern Metropolis Daily that there were children injured during the accident.
A video shot by the witness shows multiple people bleeding on the hospital floor, with an elderly person trying to assist another bleeding old person.
It was reported that Xingfuli community recreation town in Zhenxiong, which is less than two kilometers from the scene of crime, issued an emergency notice to residents to remain vigilant for sightings of a person wanted by police, with police having taken control of the community's fire escape. Residents were reminded "not to stay outdoors, to lock the door to their home, and not open the door to strangers."
The accusation of “China's interference in Canada's internal affairs” is a baseless political fabrication, the Chinese Embassy in Canada said on Friday following Canada’s report claiming China “meddled in” its elections. Experts said on Saturday that Canada’s smearing was an attempt to shift its domestic blame, and as long as the country’s groundless accusations continue, there will be a lack of momentum to improve China-Canada relations.
Canada released an interim report on Friday claiming to have found evidence of foreign interference in its last two federal elections, and that China “stands out as a main perpetrator of such interference,” the BBC reported.
The report, which was the first of two expected by Canada’s Foreign Interference Commission, “confirmed” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's assertion that “China tried to meddle in the elections,” according to Reuters.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada on Friday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to Canada’s smearing, noting that the accusation of “China's interference in Canada's internal affairs” is a baseless political fabrication. “We have never meddled in Canada's internal affairs, nor do we have any intention to do so,” a spokesperson of the embassy said.
The spokesperson noted that Canada’s report is riddled with contradictions and ideological bias and lacks credibility. It uses terms like “may,” “might,” “potential” and other misleading words, claiming to derive conclusions from “intelligence” yet also states that “intelligence is not proven fact,” and that “not all of the information provided below necessarily has been corroborated or fully assessed.” Such contradictory statements undermine the report's validity and suggest a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, the Chinese embassy said.
“What Canada is doing is just like a thief calling on people to catch a thief. We urge the Canadian side to respect the facts, abandon ideological bias, and stop groundlessly attacking China,” the spokesperson noted.
According to Reuters, the Foreign Interference Commission was set up in 2023 by Trudeau's government under pressure from opposition legislators “unhappy about media reports on China's possible role in the elections.” The commission will release its final report by the end of 2024, media reported.
Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Saturday that Canada smeared over China “interfering” in their elections in order to shift internal conflicts outward.
“This could be interpreted as Canada's election strategy to shift blame, allowing the government to deflect numerous domestic criticisms by attributing to China, such as the dissemination of false information,” Cui noted.
Cui said Canada's persistent smearing tactics also serve the purpose of domestic political parties in Canada exploiting China-related issues to gain attention during elections.
Seeing itself as a so-called high ground of human rights, Canada has consistently voiced its opinions and criticisms of China, often taking a stance that reflects its own perspective, analysts said, noting that the emphasis on China-Canada relations in recent years has been generally lukewarm and is not back on track.
As long as Canada persists in making unfounded allegations of Chinese “interference” in elections and portraying China as an adversary, there will be insufficient momentum in bilateral relations, Cui said. Furthermore, as a result of Canada's negative portrayal, China will be more reluctant to engage in meaningful communication or collaboration with Canada, he said.
The first group of PLA Navy's female carrier-based aircraft pilots successfully completed their first solo flight training at a military airport recently, showing their ability to independently pilot an aircraft.
On the morning of April 25, when the Global Times arrived at the airport, the first phase of solo flight training for the female pilots had already concluded.
Amid a roar of engines, the aircraft landed in batches under the guidance of instructors. In the second phase of training, the pilots began their solo flights, which is the most challenging stage of non-technical command solo flying. It needs to be conducted according to standard visual flight route training.
When aircraft fly at low altitudes, they are significantly influenced by meteorological conditions. Any change requires pilots to quickly correct their course, placing high demands on the technical skills of the trainees and posing a significant psychological challenge. As the command was issued, the first female trainee swiftly took off in a fighter jet. On the screens inside the control tower, the information and various parameters of the aircraft kept changing, clearly displaying the aircraft's flight status. At the same time, the control tower echoed with the clear commands from the controller and responses from the pilots.
Before long, the first group of female trainees successfully completed their solo flight training according to the schedule, prompting cheers and applause at the scene.
Carrier-based aircraft pilots are the core of an aircraft carrier's combat capability. With the accelerated pace of China's naval development, the demand for talented naval aviators has become more urgent, the Global Times learned.
In recent years, the navy has vigorously promoted the training of carrier-based aircraft pilots, gradually expanding the training model. In 2023, the navy selected the first group of female carrier-based aircraft trainees from local universities for the first time. They are the first female pilots of the naval aviation force, all of whom were born after the year 2000 and were trained by the Naval Aviation University.
The university adheres to the principles of "carrier-based training, real combat teaching, standardized management, and intensive support," the Global Times learned.
The training program focuses on strengthening the trainees' theoretical foundations regarding aviation and enhancing their risk response capabilities, with the goal of minimizing human errors and maximizing their flying potential, thereby laying solid foundations for their rapid growth and technical improvement.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday in Beijing. Wang pointed out that although positive interactions in the bilateral relations have been increasing, negative factors in China-US relations continue to build up as China's core interests are challenged, warning that the US should not cross China's red lines on issues related to its sovereignty, security and development interests.
China and the US reached five points of consensuses on Friday following the Wang-Blinken meeting.
Both agreed to continue following the guidance of the heads of state of both countries, striving to stabilize and develop China-US relations. The parties affirm the positive progress made in dialogue and cooperation in various fields between China and the US since the meeting in San Francisco, agreeing to accelerate the implementation of important consensuses reached by the heads of state in San Francisco.
Second, both parties agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and contacts at all levels. They will continue to leverage the restored and newly established consultation mechanisms in diplomatic, economic, financial, and business sectors. They will continue military exchanges and further advance cooperation between China and the US in drug prohibition, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
Third, both parties announce that they will hold the first intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence between China and the US, continue to advance consultations on guiding principles of China-US relations, conduct a new round of consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs and maritime affairs between China and the US, and continue China-US consular consultations. The China-US drug prohibition working group will hold a high-level meeting. The US welcomes Chinese Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs Liu Zhenmin's visit to the country.
Fourth, both sides will take measures to expand cultural exchanges between the two countries, welcome students from each other's countries, and successfully hold the 14th China-US Tourism High-level Dialogue in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in May.
Fifth, both parties will continue consultations on international and regional issues of concern, with special envoys from both sides strengthening communication.
Some Chinese experts welcomed the positive comments made by both sides on emphasizing cooperation, effectively managing differences and focusing on the importance of stabilizing bilateral relations, who also hailed the meeting as effective and constructive.
Last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met in San Francisco, jointly outlining the San Francisco Vision. Under the leadership of the two heads of state, China-US relations have generally stabilized, Wang said.
In the current complex international situation, what are the next steps for China-US relations? A fundamental question needs answering: should China and the US be partners or adversaries? This is the first step toward the stable development of the relationship, Wang told Blinken.
If the US always regards China as its main adversary, China-US relations will only face continuous troubles and problems, Wang said.
Dialogue, cooperation, and positive interactions in various fields have increased, which has been welcomed by both peoples and the international community. However, on the other hand, negative factors in China-US relations continue to rise and accumulate, facing various disruptions and sabotage, with China's legitimate rights to development being unreasonably suppressed and China's core interests continually challenged, the top Chinese diplomat said.
Wang emphasized that whether China-US relations will adhere to the correct path of stability and progress or repeat the cycle of spiraling downward is a significant issue facing both nations, testing their sincerity and capabilities.
It remains to be seen whether both sides will lead in international cooperation to address global issues for mutual and multilateral gains, or oppose and confront each other, even to the point of conflict, leading to losses for all, he noted.
On the Taiwan question, Wang emphasized that it is the first and foremost red line in China-US relations. China demands that the US adhere strictly to the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communiques, not send the wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in any way.
The US side should fulfill President Biden's commitments of not supporting "Taiwan independence," not supportinga two Chinas or "one China, one Taiwan," not using it as a tool to contain China, and stop arming Taiwan island, and support China's peaceful reunification, Wang said.
The US has implemented numerous measures to suppress China's economic and technological advancement, which is not fair competition but containment and encirclement, not risk reduction but risk creation, Wang told Blinken.
The Chinese diplomat said the US should act on its statements of not seeking to contain China's economic development, not seeking to decouple from China, and having no intention of hindering Chinese technological progress, stop promoting the false narrative of China's overcapacity, lift illegal sanctions on Chinese companies, and cease imposing tariffs that violate WTO rules.
Wang also stressed that China's attitude has been consistent, viewing and developing China-US relations from the perspective of building a community with a shared future for mankind, being responsible to the people, the world, and the future.
China's stance has been consistent, always adhering to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation proposed by President Xi, committed to promoting a stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations, he continued.
China's demands have been consistent, always advocating for respect for each other's core interests. The US should not interfere in China's internal affairs, suppress China's development, or infringe upon China's sovereignty, security, and development interests, Wang said.
From the Chinese side, Wang further clarified that the constructive outcomes and a positive future for US-China relations hinge on respecting China's core interests. China's respect for US interests and legitimate rights has always been consistent, but US policy toward China has been characterized by a discrepancy between positive rhetoric and problematic actions, Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Friday.
"Hence,Wang made it clear in his discussions with Blinken that the US must fully understand China's position on core issues such as the Taiwan question and the rights to China's development," Li said.
During the meeting, Wang stressed that the Asia-Pacific region should not become a battlefield for major powers. He hopes the US will make the right choice, move toward China, achieve benign interactions in the Asia-Pacific, abandon exclusionary practices, refrain from coercing regional countries to take sides, stop deploying land-based intermediate-range missiles, and cease undermining China's strategic security interests and the hard-won peace and stability of the region.
Blinken said during the meeting that the US-China relationship is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world, and responsibly managing it is a common responsibility of both nations. The US continues to follow a one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence," seeks no change in China's system, has no intention of conflict with China, seeks no "decoupling" from China, and does not seek to contain China's development. A successfully developed China is good for the world, according to a readout released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The US senior diplomat is willing to move forward based on the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries in San Francisco, enhance dialogue and communication, effectively manage differences, avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments, and promote stable development of US-China relations.
The two sides also exchanged views on issues such as the Ukraine conflict, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the situations in North Korea and Myanmar.
Both sides agreed that the talks were candid, substantive, and constructive, and agreed to continue following the guidance of their leaders to stabilize and develop US-China relations.
They affirmed the positive progress in dialogue and cooperation in various fields since the San Francisco meeting, agreed to accelerate the implementation of the important consensus reached by the leaders in San Francisco, maintain high-level and various levels of contacts, continue military exchanges and consultations in various fields, further advance US-China cooperation on banning chemical weapons and artificial intelligence, and take measures to expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
"To some extent, this dialogue was a reassurance process, ensuring that both sides mutually align better in handling different issues, guaranteeing an effective relationship with more cooperation and a more positive direction," Li said.
As the US has often made issued verbal assurances in the past but has had many issues in action, this exchange helps the US overcome unfavorable factors and benefit from positive elements, building on a foundation of accumulated consensus and mutual interests to ensure a stable and long-lasting relationship, the expert noted.
It is also evident that both sides have high expectations for a stable, controllable, and constructive China-US relations and the aim of the exchanges was to ensure these expectations are met with actions, as a stable and cooperative bilateral relationship, based on respect for each other's development rights and core interests, nurtures a relationship that serves the common interests and demands of both sides, experts said.
