China’s foreign minister urges Trump to respect Beijing’s ‘core interests’, ‘major concerns’
Wang Yi says cooperation between the two nations will ensure both can reap the benefits
Beijing and Washington should respect each other’s “core interests” and “major concerns” so that the two countries can work together for win-win results, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in an interview with the People’s Daily.
“China and the US will have respect and take care of each other’s core interests and major concerns to ensure long and stable cooperation and realise mutual benefits and a win-win situation,” Wang told the governing Communist Party’s mouthpiece.
The comments came after US president-elect Donald Trump has made provocative gestures towards Beijing, including the threat of disregarding the one-China principle to govern future policy towards Taiwan.
Trump’s nomination of Peter Navarro to head a newly-created White House council on trade has also raised eyebrows this week.
Navarro is an academic and one-time investment adviser who has authored a number of popular books, including Death by China.
Wang did not touch any specific issues, but said Sino-US ties “would be facing some complexity and uncertainty in the future”.
Wang said the phone call between Xi and Trump after the US election had sent a positive signal for a stable transition after both sides expressed wishes to promote their two countries’ ties.
“This is the trend of history beyond the will of human beings and the correct direction for the Sino-US relationship to develop,” he said.
Wang said he expected unrest to continue around the world next year, but said China would keep calm amid the chaos and catch opportunities in the turbulence.
Wang also said a top job for the foreign ministry in 2017 was to host a big meeting themed on the One Belt, One Road policy.
Wang’s comments about the event confirm an earlier report by the South China Morning Post earlier this month about the planned gathering.
It will be the biggest international meeting hosted by China next year and will be a highlight of diplomacy, according to Wang.
The One Belt, One Road trade, culture and economic initiative, the brainchild of President Xi Jinping, involves 64 foreign countries along the ancient Silk Road in Central Asia, West Asia, the Middle East and Europe, as well as the “Maritime Silk Road” through Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Africa.
Sources in Beijing and Hong Kong told the Post that China’s leadership wants a gathering grander than the G20 leadership summit in September this year when about 30 state leaders gathered in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
