China urges US not to be ‘blinded by ideology’

Zhao Yusha

Beijing: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken via phone this week and urged the US to stop cracking down on China and putting up new obstacles to bilateral relations.

China’s diplomatic and domestic policies are open and transparent, and the US should not be blinded by ideology, Wang noted.

The call, which took place after the curtain fell on the widely-watched 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is seen by Chinese experts as demonstrating that China’s US policy is consistent, and that it is committed to pursuing stable and constructive relations while being willing to defend its own interests in the face of US provocation.

The conversation between Wang and Blinken is also believed to pave the way for further talks between the world’s two biggest economies.

During the phone call, Blinken said that the US has been paying close attention to the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the report to the Congress.

Wang said the most important outcome of the 20th CPC National Congress is that, in response to the will of the Party and all Chinese people, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position in the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been established.

Wang said that an important signal delivered by the 20th CPC National Congress is that China will stick to the diplomatic principle of supporting world peace and pushing forward common development; is committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world, promoting progress for mankind through Chinese modernization and bringing new opportunities to the world through China’s new development, which is how China is injecting maximum stability into a world in turmoil, according to the read out issued by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If the US truly wants to know about China, it should carefully read the report, said Wang, noting that China’s domestic and diplomatic policies are open and transparent and its strategic intention is frank and forthright, and the US should not make subjective conjectures, nor be blinded by its ideological prejudice.

The phone call is a positive gesture from China to brief the US that China is not seeking major adjustments on foreign policy after the Congress, and that we will continue pursuing a stable, and constructive China-US policy, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Before talking to Blinken, Wang also met with US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns. During the meeting, Wang also briefed Burns on the Congress and told the ambassador that China and the US cannot change each other, and the US shouldn’t think about thwarting China all the time.

Bilateral relations between China and the US have become frayed as the two are locked in clashes over issues such as the US technology crackdown on China, human rights and the Taiwan question.

A fractured China-US relationship is not only detrimental for both sides, but also for the world, and now is the time for both sides to seek common ground while shelving differences, and also the time to find possible pragmatic cooperation, Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing told the Global Times, noting the call between Wang and Blinken also set the tone for further talks between two countries in the future.

When talking with Blinken, Wang pointed out that bringing bilateral relation back on track is not only in accordance with the two countries’ mutual interests, but also what the international community expects. The US should stop cracking down on China, and also stop trying to put up new obstacles to bilateral relations, Wang urged. He also warned that the US’ new restrictions on exports to and investment in China have severely violated free trade agreements, damaged China’s rightful interests, and should be corrected.

Blinken expressed the US’ willingness to maintain communication and engage in cooperation with China.

Experts also noticed that the Taiwan question, a hot-button issue in China-US relations, was not mentioned in the read outs of either the call between Wang and Blinken nor his meeting with Burns.

The Taiwan question remains the most dangerous flashpoint between China and the US, and could be triggered at any moment after Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to the island in August, said Lü. He believed that omitting the Taiwan question in the read outs shows the US has fully realized the fact that China reacts firmly to any provocation on this question, and Washington aims to play down the tension during talks with China.

Wang and Blinken also expressed views on Ukraine and other issues. Wang said all sides involved should remain calm, and increase diplomatic efforts to prevent the situation from further escalating. As long as there’s a one percent possibility, 100 percent effort should be directed to keeping peace, Wang noted.