The official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (PCC) on Wednesday expressed its wish for relations between Washington and Beijing to “stabilize and improve”, at a time when both sides are trying to achieve rapprochement.
“China and the United States should be partners, not rivals, and strive to stabilize ties.”said Diário do Povo in an editorial.
The official newspaper’s position was published at a time when both sides are working on a possible meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in San Francisco, on the sidelines of the Asian Economic Cooperation summit.
The newspaper argued that the “relationships should not degenerate into conflict and confrontation”,
China has “always believed” that the “concepts of competition and confrontation must be overcome,” the editorial said.
“We must take care of each other’s interests and concerns and seek greater common ground for exchange and cooperation”he added.
The text also pointed out that the “Now more than ever, the world needs stable relations between China and the United States.”to promote the “global economic recovery and the fight against climate change”both and for “burning international and regional issues that require cooperation between the two countries”.
“Cooperation is always the best option for China and the United States (…), in the face of growing global challenges. Both sides must choose the right path, that of cooperation”he claimed.
However, the newspaper noted that the “The fundamental cause of the deterioration of bilateral relations is the serious deviation in US understanding and positioning towards China”.
“Differences should not prevent both parties from working together based on their interests. We cannot define relations from the perspective of competition.”pointed out the editorial, signed by Zhong Sheng, a pseudonym the newspaper uses to comment on international issues.
In recent years, the newspaper’s commentary has generally been highly critical of the United States. The People’s Daily previously accused Washington of it “inciting ideological confrontation and forcing other countries to take sides”.
The editorial came after Biden’s surprise reception of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the White House last Friday, the North American leader’s highest-level meeting with a Chinese official over the past year.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that the “China and the US agreed to work together to organize a meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco. But this requires eliminating interference, overcoming obstacles and reaching a consensus”.
Wang’s trip followed recent visits to China by US officials: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury and Commerce Secretaries Janet Yellen and Gina Raimondo, and Special Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry visited Beijing this year.
Relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated in recent years due to a trade and technology war, disputes over human rights issues, the status of Hong Kong and Taiwan or the sovereignty of the South China Sea.
The last time Biden and Xi met was in November 2022 in Bali, on the sidelines of the G20, where they agreed to set up “communication mechanisms” to avoid open conflict.
Source: DN
