WASHINGTON - China-US relations are at "a very critical moment" and the two countries have to "make the right choices" for the long-term interests of the two peoples and of the world, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said.
Cui made the remarks when he was invited to attend the 2020 Aspen Security Forum and had an online interview with Nicholas Burns, executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group, and Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent of NBC News, on issues related to China-US relations last week.
We are at a very critical moment for our relations between China and the United States. In a way, we can say it's unprecedented since Dr. Henry Kissinger's visit almost half a century ago.
Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US
"We are at a very critical moment for our relations between China and the United States. In a way, we can say it's unprecedented since Dr. Henry Kissinger's visit almost half a century ago," said Cui.
"The choices we're making today will shape not only relations between our two great countries, but also the future of the world. So we have to make the right choices. We have to base ourselves on the long-term interests of our two peoples and of the world," he said.
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The Chinese diplomat said the recent allegations against Chinese consulate in Houston or any of Chinese diplomatic missions in the United States were "totally groundless."
"People cannot assume other people are doing all these things just because they are exactly doing the same thing in other countries. This is the problem. Some people are doing all these things in other countries. But now they are blaming other countries doing such things. We never do these," he said.
"It's so bad for the US side to decide to close our consulate in Houston. Based on the principle of reciprocity in diplomacy, we have to respond. But we certainly don't want to have all this from the very beginning. We certainly don't want to see any escalation," the Chinese ambassador said.
'Give Chinese firms level playing field'
Speaking on recent US actions against Chinese companies, Cui said that the US should stop making groundless allegations against Chinese firms, including TikTok, and give them a level playing field.
It's not fair ... to accuse China of not giving American companies a level playing field while at the same time they themselves are denying Chinese companies such a level playing field. This is extremely unfair.
Cui Tiankai
"I don't think there's an evidence that any company is giving such information to the Chinese government. People make these allegations, but they never show any evidence," said Cui in response to the US government's allegations that TikTok might give its data to the Chinese government.
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"Very often we hear complaints here that we don't give a level playing field to American companies. But more and more, I believe we should complain Chinese companies are not having a level playing field here," he said.
"There is such a degree of political intervention, government intervention into the market. There's such a discrimination against Chinese company. These companies are just private companies," the ambassador said.
"It's not fair to make such allegations without giving any evidence and to accuse China of not giving American companies a level playing field while at the same time they themselves are denying Chinese companies such a level playing field. This is extremely unfair," he said.
Cui said that the differences between the US and China "should be seen as opportunities, possibilities for mutual learning, for cooperation".
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"We are two different countries, but we have to work together. We have to understand we are living in the same world. We are living in this small global village," Cui said. "There are so many global challenges we share. Neither of our countries can really handle all these things all by itself." Cui said.
