Cold war mentality will harm US-China relations, top diplomat warns Kissinger
Four decades of gains at risk of ‘total destruction’ if tensions continue to rise
China’s senior diplomat has demanded the US stop viewing China with a cold war mentality to keep the Sino-US bilateral ties on a healthy track as tensions between the two sides continue to rise.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the comments to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
The meeting came a day after Wang warned US business representatives that Washington was putting four decades of gains in the Sino-US relationship at risk of “total destruction”.
“China and the US can have competition, but they should not view others with a cold war mentality,” Wang said in a foreign ministry statement, using the term describing the rivalry between the US and former Soviet Union.
“There are some forces in the US recently frequently smearing China and creating antagonistic sentiment, which has caused serious damage to China-US relations.”
Relations between the two countries would go downward if the trend continued, and the US should take steps to ensure bilateral ties remained on a proper track, he said.
In the meeting, Wang said he appreciated Kissinger’s contribution to the development of China-US relations, and hoped he would continue to yield a positive influence.