'Two-faced' actions destabilize bilateral ties

Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets the media on the sidelines of the annual gathering of the country's top legislature in Beijing on Friday. (FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY)

A trade war, tariff levies, intermediate range missile deployment and roles in global affairs — China's relations with the United States dominated a slew of wide-ranging media questions proposed for Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, who stated Beijing's determination to counter Washington's pressuring and its "two-faced" China policy.

At a news conference held by the senior Chinese diplomat on the sidelines of the annual two sessions in Beijing, Wang was asked about how Beijing will deal with the current U.S. administration in the following four years as the U.S. has blamed China for its fentanyl issue, threatened tariff levies and called in public for a good China relationship.

"No country should fantasize that it can suppress China and maintain good relations with China at the same time," Wang warned.

"Such two-faced acts are not good for the stability of bilateral relations, or for building mutual trust," he added.

On fentanyl abuse in the U.S., Wang said China has been assisting the U.S. "in various ways on humanitarian grounds".

"Washington should not return good with evil, or even impose arbitrary tariffs on Chinese products, as no responsible major country should do that," he added.

He urged the U.S. to take stock of what it has achieved from tariff and trade wars by examining its own trade deficit, manufacturing, inflation and the life of its people.

"Cooperation will bring about mutual benefit and win-win, and China will definitely take countermeasures in response to arbitrary pressure," Wang said.

"We hope that the U.S. side will listen to the calls of the two peoples, see clearly the trend of the times, take an objective and rational view of China's development, and engage proactively with China in practical exchanges," he said.

Jia Qingguo, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a professor of American studies at the School of International Studies of Peking University, said Washington's tariff levies represent a frequently-used approach that "seeks to maximize U.S.' interests at the negotiating table and to slow down China's rise".

"Such a reliance on tariffs and other coercive tools to rebuild U.S. manufacturing is not going to work; it will only make U.S. businesses less competitive in the marketplace and thus lose the world market," he said.

When asked about the U.S.' plan to deploy intermediate range missiles in the region, Wang said, "China firmly opposes it, and countries in the region don't welcome it either."

He questioned what Washington has done for the countries in the region after its launch of the "Indo-Pacific strategy" many years ago.

"Nothing but stirring up trouble and creating divergence. Honestly, it makes no success but many failures," he said.

Another reporter noted Washington's "America First" policy, such as withdrawing from international organizations, and asked Wang whether this is a good chance for China to draw other countries to its side.

Wang quoted a popular saying in the West that "there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests". "We in China believe that friends should be permanent and we should pursue common interests," he added.

Beijing is glad to see over 100 countries supporting the three global initiatives and over three-quarters of all the countries joining in building the Belt and Road, he said. "History will prove that a real winner is the one that keeps in mind the interests of all," he added.

Chen Bo, president of the China Institute of International Studies, said Wang's comments manifest the pursuits, diplomatic style and courage of a responsible major country.

"Our policy projects the shared hope of the overwhelming majority of countries, and this is why we can stand on a moral high ground on the global stage," she said.