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China, US working group ‘making progress’ on issues ahead of Xi-Biden summit
- Foreign vice-minister Le Yucheng says Beijing is open to dialogue and ‘confrontation will lead us nowhere’ in interview on state television
- But he also says Washington’s focus on China will be a ‘bigger mistake’ than Afghanistan, and that it’s ‘playing with fire’ on Taiwan
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China and the US have been making progress on issues in their relationship after setting up a joint working group to pave the way for a virtual summit between the nations’ leaders, according to a senior Chinese diplomat.
Foreign vice-minister Le Yucheng also said Beijing was open to dialogue and hoped President Joe Biden would stick to his word that the US was not seeking a new Cold War with China.
But he warned that in targeting China, the US will find it has made “an even bigger mistake” than its failed military mission in Afghanistan, and that it is “playing with fire” on Taiwan.
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Speaking in a rare English-language interview with state broadcaster CGTN that aired late on Tuesday, Le said there had been progress on preparations for talks between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year, with a joint working group formed to “discuss how to address some specific issues in bilateral relations”.
“They have made some progress. This proves that dialogue and cooperation are indispensable, and that confrontation and conflict will lead us nowhere,” Le said. “In the meantime, the two sides need to work together to build a good atmosphere and create positive conditions for the two presidents to meet.”
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