China-US relations: sides convey serious intent on Taiwan and other matters amid party marking 45 years of ties

‘There is but one China and Taiwan is part of China,’ Beijing’s ambassador to the US says days after Taiwan election
Xie Feng calls on the US to accept China for what it is, and acknowledge and accept ideological differences behind their two systems

US-China relations

Mark Magnierin New York

Published: 12:12pm, 17 Jan 2024

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China’s top diplomat in the United States delivered a gracious speech marking the 45th anniversary of US-China relations that couched a tough message: do not mess with Taiwan.

“Today, the Taiwan question remains the most important, sensitive and explosive question in China-US relations,” said Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the United States, midway through his remarks. “There is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.”

The anniversary ceremony at the embassy, attended by hundreds of guests from government, industry, the military and diplomacy, celebrated the past 4½ decades without conflict, even as Xie warned that much work needed to be done to ensure this track record continued.

“The two sides also need to learn lessons from history, stay vigilant against a new cold war,” he said, citing the danger of exaggerated definitions of national security, politicising economic and scientific issues, weaponising US-China interdependence and a return to the 1950s McCarthyism that saw strong anti-communist feelings sweep the US.

Washington countered with its own message, also couched in pleasantries: we need to communicate, not close off hotlines or military channels to “ensure that competition does not veer into conflict”.

“Obviously there are issues with the South China Sea to the Taiwan Strait to economic and technology policy, where people have, indeed, differences,” said Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. “But the United States has a long history of managing complicated and complex relationships through diplomacy. And we are committed to doing so here, and in the coming years.”

The celebration comes at a sensitive time in bilateral relations. Last Saturday’s election in Taiwan saw the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate William Lai Ching-te elected president against Beijing’s strong wishes.

The US will hold its own presidential election in November that could see Washington’s China policy stiffen as the US Congress becomes more hardline towards Beijing and public distrust grows.

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On Tuesday, Xie called for a deepening of ties to weather potentially rockier times ahead, including more flights, student exchanges and people-to-people ties, as a way to cement progress made in November when President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden met in San Francisco in a bid to put a floor under deteriorating relations.

Beijing’s 12th ambassador to the United States also called on the US to accept China for what it is and acknowledge and accept the ideological differences behind their two systems.

“China will not become another United States,” he said on Tuesday. “We have no intention to challenge the US or to unseat it.”

Xie added: “Likewise, we hope the United States will also respect China’s development path and core interests, and respect the right of the Chinese people to pursue a better life.”