China’s top diplomat Wang Yi lashes out at US for ‘seriously damaging’ mutual trust
- Foreign minister’s criticism over Xinjiang and Hong Kong legislation comes amid reports the two sides have reached a ‘phase one’ trade deal
- He also says Washington officials have ‘slandered China’s social system, development path and cooperation with other countries’
Wang Yi also said during an annual speech in Beijing that US officials had “slandered China’s social system, development path and cooperation with other countries”.
“Such behaviour is almost paranoid, and is indeed rare in international exchanges, seriously damaging the hard-won foundation of mutual trust between China and the United States, and seriously weakening the United States’ international credibility,” Wang said in his review of China’s diplomacy highlights and challenges for the year.
The foreign minister said there were deep-seated issues that needed to be addressed and resolved between the two sides that were presenting increasingly severe challenges to their future relationship.
“We hope that the US side will promptly calm down, take a rational view towards China and the world, and work together with China to realise a non-confrontational, mutually respectful, win-win path towards peaceful co-existence and mutual benefit,” he said.
