China warns US against taking a superior position in global affairs
- Cooperation still possible, but Beijing will not accept unilateral demands from Washington, Foreign Minister Wang Yi says
- Wang also told his counterparts from four Asean countries their concerns over US-China rivalry were ‘reasonable’
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned the United States not to take a superior position and presume it has a final say on global affairs.
Wang said China would not accept a list from Washington of unilateral demands for negotiations with Beijing. “The door for dialogue with China is open. But the dialogue should be done on equal basis and with mutual respect,” he said.
“China will not accept that there is any nation in the world that [can] put itself superior to the others, and that any nation will have a final say on world affairs. If the US continues to confront, China will take it calmly without fear.”
Wang said that, while China-US cooperation was possible, both sides should respect each other’s core concerns, and China would not accept unilateral demands and conditions from Washington. “We resolutely resist gross interference in China’s internal affairs, and even more resolutely oppose unlawful unilateral sanctions imposed on the basis of lies and false information,” he said.
“China cannot retreat because there are many developing and small and medium-sized countries behind us. But China has the right to fight back because we must defend national sovereignty and national dignity.”