China-US relations: angels can triumph over evil and get ties back on track, Beijing says

‘President Biden mentioned that the US needs to be repaired and healed. I think the same is true for Sino-US relations,’ foreign ministry spokeswoman says

Upbeat message comes after China imposes sanctions on 28 officials who served under Donald Trump

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China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says anti-China politicians “must pay a price for their crazy behaviour”. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:23pm, 21 Jan 2021Updated: 11:30pm, 21 Jan 2021

China’s relationship with the United States can be restored and “kind angels can triumph over evil forces”, Beijing said on Thursday, in an upbeat statement after earlier imposing sanctions on a raft of American officials who served under Donald Trump.

As Joe Biden was making his presidential oath in Washington, China’s foreign ministry said it would ban 28 officials, including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and their immediate family members from entering China. It also announced restrictions on companies and organisations associated with the officials from doing business or otherwise interacting with China.

The new Biden administration described Beijing’s move as “unproductive and cynical”.

“Imposing these sanctions on Inauguration Day is seemingly an attempt to play to partisan divides,” National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement.

“Americans of both parties should criticise this unproductive and cynical move. President Biden looks forward to working with leaders in both parties to position America to out-compete China.”

China has previously imposed sanctions on lower ranked US officials as punishment for what it called US interference in its domestic affairs over Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan. But the new restrictions are the first to target senior level officials.

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