US has no desire to contain China, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tells Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok

United States encourages people-to-people exchanges and hopes for smooth progress in trade talks, US official quoted as saying on sidelines of Asean forum

Nations must keep lines of communication open and look for more areas of cooperation, Wang says

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met on the sidelines of the Asean regional forum in Bangkok. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:30am, 2 Aug 2019Updated: 2:51am, 2 Aug 2019

The United States has no desire to contain China but is keen to see “smooth progress” in their trade negotiations, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The officials met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional forum in Bangkok, a day after trade representatives from the two countries wrapped up their latest talks in Shanghai, with Beijing promising to buy more agricultural products from the US.

Wang told reporters in the Thai capital that Pompeo said the US had no intention of containing China and did not wish to restrict people-to-people exchanges.

“With regards to the recent problems and disturbance to people-to-people exchanges, Pompeo said very clearly that the US welcomes and supports the flow of people between the two countries,” he said.

Pompeo also “made it very clear that neither [US President Donald] Trump nor the US administration has the intention to contain China’s development”, but did “hope to see smooth progress in the Sino-US trade talks”, Wang said.