BEIJING - China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on March 7 questioned what the United States has achieved in imposing tariffs, while stressing that it is “fully possible” for the two superpowers to help each other succeed and “prosper together”.
“Has its trade deficit widened or narrowed? Has its manufacturing become more or less competitive? Has US inflation gone up or down? Have the lives of its people got better or worse?” he asked, in response to a question about China’s approach to the US under President Donald Trump.
“No country should fantasize that they can suppress China and maintain good relations with China at the same time. Such two-faced acts are not good for the stability of bilateral relations or for building mutual trust,” Mr Wang added.
Mr Wang was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Two Sessions, China’s annual parliamentary meetings held in Beijing, where thousands of delegates from across the country are gathering this week to discuss national policies.
In vowing that China will take counter-measures in response to “arbitrary pressure”, he was the latest senior Chinese official to strike a defiant tone amid an escalating trade war between the US and China. Each side has imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on goods from the other country, with US President Donald Trump accusing China of not doing enough on drug control.
Since a new US administration took office in January, US-China rivalry has continued to play out across issues from technology to TikTok. On March 5, US prosecutors announced criminal charges against a dozen Chinese nationals for allegedly hacking US companies and government agencies.
But there remains uncertainty in the trajectory of bilateral ties as Mr Trump has not yet articulated a broader strategy towards China, who remain hopeful of striking a deal with the US president that would avert further damage to a slowing Chinese economy.
Mr Wang said as the world’s largest developed and developing countries, both countries must seek peaceful co-existence.
“It is fully possible for China and the US to become partners, helping each other succeed and prosper together,” he said, adding that the US should take an “objective and rational view” of China’s development.
The press conference is among the highlights of the Two Sessions - a rare occasion where the foreign minister takes questions directly from Chinese and foreign reporters on major diplomatic issues, such as the Ukraine war and China’s ties with major powers.
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