When China and the United States treat each other as partners and friends, seek common ground while reserving differences, and help each other succeed, they will make considerable progress in relations; if seeing each other as rival or adversary, heading into vicious competition and hurting one another, that relationship would be roiled and even set back.
This is the reality about the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship, the historical experience and lessons that are “certain” amid all the uncertainties in the world, according to Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the US.
Xie made the remarks at the 15th US-China CEO and Former Senior Officials’ Dialogue in Washington on Tuesday.
Also “certain” is the win-win nature of China-US relations, as their cooperation is never a zero-sum game and their interests are already deeply intertwined after decades of development, the envoy said.
To illustrate his points, Xie noted that bilateral trade has exceeded $660 billion, with exports to China alone supporting 930,000 jobs in the US. More than 70,000 American companies are doing business in China, earning a profit of $50 billion annually.
“The two sides need to make the cake bigger by drawing on our complementarities, so that our success will be an opportunity, not a challenge, for each other, and our development will be a boost, not an obstacle, to one another,” the ambassador said.
Still, there is another aspect of China-US relations that is sure: China’s strategic intentions and policy toward the US are certain, according to Xie.
He noted that the China-US relationship is at a new historical starting point and people are eager to know where China-US relations will head, and if the two peoples can jointly create a brighter future.
“China will be glad to see a confident, open, ever-growing and prosperous US. Likewise, the US should also welcome a peaceful, stable and thriving China,” he said.
He stressed that China’s policy toward the US is “stable and consistent”, with its goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship remaining unchanged.
Also remains unchanged is China’s commitment to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in handling the relationship, as well as its position of resolutely safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
“And our desire to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American peoples remains unchanged. We are prepared to maintain dialogue, expand cooperation and manage differences together with the US government. And we hope the US side will move with us in the same direction,” he said.
He called for the business and strategic communities of both countries to stay confident and undaunted by the “chilling effect”, refuse to be led astray, and start with every small, good thing, so as to inject more certainties into China-US relations.
This includes efforts to help American society understand that China has interests that must be defended, principles that must be upheld and red lines that must not be crossed.
“Meanwhile, China has no intention to overtake or displace the US. Nor should the US attempt to contain or suppress China. We need to bring our two societies together to support our governments in moving in the same direction and finding a right way for China and the US to get along in the new era,” Xie said.