Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi receives an interview with Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group. (PHOTO / FMPRC.GOV.CN)
BEIJING - The Chinese side hopes that the next US administration will return to a sensible approach, resume dialogue with China, restore normalcy to the bilateral relations and restart cooperation, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
"China-US relations have come to a new crossroads, and a new window of hope is opening," said Wang in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group.
China-US relations have come to a new crossroads, and a new window of hope is opening.
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister
He said in recent years, China-US relations have run into unprecedented difficulties. Fundamentally, it all comes down to the serious misconceptions of US policymakers about China. Some see China as the so-called biggest threat and their China policy based on this misperception is simply wrong.
"What has happened proves that the US attempt to suppress China and start a new Cold War has not just seriously harmed the interests of the two peoples, but also caused severe disruptions to the world. Such a policy will find no support and is doomed to fail," he said.
READ MORE: Wang calls for efforts to rebuild healthy, stable China-US ties
Wang said that China's policy toward the United States is consistent and stable. "We are ready to develop with the United States a relationship based on coordination, cooperation and stability."
"We know that some in the United States are uneasy about China's rapid development. However, the best way to keep one's lead is through constant self-improvement, not by blocking others' development," he said.
"We believe that as long as the United States can draw lessons from the past and work with China in the same direction, the two countries are capable of resolving differences through dialogue and expanding converging interests by cooperation," Wang said.
'Cloud diplomacy' hailed
When commenting on China's diplomacy in 2020, Wang said the biggest highlight in China's foreign relations has been the "cloud diplomacy" conducted at the head-of-state level.
In 2020, President Xi personally planned, oversaw and engaged in "cloud diplomacy", having 87 meetings and phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations and attending 22 important bilateral or multilateral events through this virtual platform, Wang said
In 2020, President Xi personally planned, oversaw and engaged in "cloud diplomacy", having 87 meetings and phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations and attending 22 important bilateral or multilateral events through this virtual platform, according to Wang.
READ MORE: Xi's diplomacy prioritizes solidarity, cooperation
Xi has championed solidarity in the world's fight against COVID-19, offered a series of proposals in light of China's experience in coordinating pandemic response and economic and social development, and pointed the way forward for reforming the global governance system through "cloud diplomacy", said Wang.
"With 'cloud diplomacy', China has demonstrated its sense of responsibility, contributed its wisdom and expanded the ways it conducts foreign relations," he said.
China's diplomacy in 2021
Noting that the year 2021 will be of historic significance to China's national rejuvenation, Wang said the country will celebrate the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and embark on a new journey of fully building a modern socialist country.
"The centenary is just the first chapter of the CPC's great cause. We in the foreign service will rally closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy," he said, adding that the Chinese side will continue to advance the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and focus the work on the following six areas.
While ensuring effective COVID-19 control, we will promote better integration of the domestic and international markets and greater complementarity between domestic and global resources.
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister
"We will make our best efforts to serve China's development strategies. While ensuring effective COVID-19 control, we will promote better integration of the domestic and international markets and greater complementarity between domestic and global resources," Wang said, adding that the Chinese side will endeavor to create a favorable external environment for fostering a new development paradigm and implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan at home.
Q&A: Wang Yi on diplomacy, global situation
The Chinese side will continue to build a new type of international relations. "Guided by President Xi's personal involvement in diplomacy, we will work for steady progress in China's relations with major powers, cement solidarity and friendship with neighbors and other developing countries, and further deepen international and regional cooperation," he said.
He said the Chinese side will actively facilitate mutual understanding between countries, better communicate to the world the CPC's strong record of governance, the Chinese people's extraordinary journey towards the Chinese dream and China's commitment to peaceful development, and call on all countries to overcome differences, seek common development and embrace exchanges, mutual learning and harmony between civilizations.
Cooperation under BRI makes progress
Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has made new progress and demonstrated a strong resilience under the COVID-19 pandemic, said Wang.
Wang said the year 2020 witnessed BRI partners supporting each other and forging a "bond of solidarity" to control the coronavirus and pursue common development.
Wang said the year 2020 witnessed BRI partners supporting each other and forging a "bond of solidarity" to control the coronavirus and pursue common development
"The China-Europe Railway Express has completed more than 10,000 services, transporting more freight in the first 10 months of 2020 than the whole of 2019." Hailed as a "steel camel fleet", it has helped countries with their COVID-19 response, he said.
The Silk Road in the Air has enabled shipments of over 1,700 tons of medical supplies from China, opening up a lifeline in the air, Wang said. In the first three quarters of 2020, China's non-financial direct investment in countries along the Belt and Road reached US$13 billion, an increase of nearly 30 percent year-on-year.
READ MORE: Multilateralism gains pace from RCEP, BRI
Noting that most BRI projects have continued uninterrupted and without layoffs and a number of new projects have been launched as scheduled, the foreign minister said this has brought much-needed warmth to this harsh winter in the world economy and contributed to the efforts of partner countries in fighting the coronavirus, stabilizing the economy, and protecting livelihoods.
China, Russia as an example of good-neighborly relations
On China-Russia ties, Wang said the two countries will continue to be the example of good-neighborly and friendly relations between major countries, add impetus to global recovery, and underpin global strategic stability.
Chinese President Xi Jinping awards his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the first-ever Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 8, 2018. (SHEN HONG / XINHUA)
He said in 2020, China-Russia relations have stood the test of a once-in-a-century pandemic and unprecedented global changes, and reached a historic high in all respects.
Wang Yi said in 2020, China-Russia relations have stood the test of a once-in-a-century pandemic and unprecedented global changes, and reached a historic high in all respects
He hailed the intensive interactions between the two heads of state, noting President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin have had five phone calls and exchanged correspondence on multiple occasions, providing the most important strategic guidance for the steady growth of the bilateral relations.
He also spoke highly of the mutual support between the two peoples, growing practical cooperation despite challenges, and closer coordination on international affairs.
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"The year 2021 is a year of special importance for China-Russia relations, as both countries will enter a new development stage. In developing China-Russia strategic cooperation, we see no limit, no forbidden zone and no ceiling to how far this cooperation can go," he said.
He said focusing on the central task of implementing the common understandings of the two presidents, the two countries will use the opportunity of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation to renew their shared commitment to ever-lasting peace and win-win cooperation. Being each other's strategic anchor, diplomatic priority, development opportunity and global partner, the two countries will expand and deepen cooperation from a higher starting point.
Enhancing coordination with EU
Wang also said China is prepared to enhance coordination with the EU to keep the relations on the right track.
The most important conclusion is that our cooperation and common understandings far outweigh competition and differences. China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners, not systemic rivals.
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister
He said the year 2020 marked the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between China and the EU. And throughout the years, the relationship has on the whole focused on dialogue, cooperation and mutual benefit, and demonstrated strong vitality by progressing with the times.
READ MORE: China, EU to boost strategic partnership
"The most important conclusion is that our cooperation and common understandings far outweigh competition and differences. China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners, not systemic rivals," he said.
"President Xi Jinping and European leaders have jointly announced the conclusion of negotiations on a China-EU investment treaty, adding fresh, strong impetus to China-EU cooperation. It is also great news for the struggling global economy," he said, stressing that in 2020, China and the EU made new progress in their relations despite COVID-19.
China will remain a supporter of European integration, greater strategic autonomy of the EU, and a bigger role of the EU in international affairs, he said.
(L-R) Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Myanmar's Union Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin, Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Philippines' Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin Jr, Laos' Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof, Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi shake hands on stage at a summit between China and ASEAN on the novel coronavirus in Vientiane on Feb 20, 2020. (DENE-HERN CHEN/AFP)
Further enriching partnership with ASEAN
China stands ready to work with ASEAN to further enrich the strategic partnership and usher in a new era of peace, development and cooperation for the region, said Wang.
Wang Yi said the Chinese side looks forward to the new opportunities it will bring for enhancing China-ASEAN ties
"Since its launch, China-ASEAN cooperation has always been results-oriented, pioneering and responsive to the trend of the times. It has become the most successful and vibrant example of regional cooperation," he said.
He said the two sides became each other's largest trading partners for the first time in 2020. "We jointly pushed for the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which gave birth to the world's most promising free trade area with the largest population and biggest economic aggregate. This is a historic breakthrough in China-ASEAN cooperation."
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Noting that China and ASEAN will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their dialogue relations in 2021, Wang said the Chinese side looks forward to the new opportunities it will bring for enhancing China-ASEAN ties.
China-Africa friendship
Wang said the friendship between China and Africa emerged still stronger from the test of COVID-19 in 2020.
With our shared identity as part of the developing world, China and Africa have the responsibility of advancing the interests of developing countries.
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister
"With our shared identity as part of the developing world, China and Africa have the responsibility of advancing the interests of developing countries," he said.
China and Africa have scaled up the implementation of follow-ups to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit, with the health care initiative as a top priority, Wang said, adding that China has signed debt service suspension agreements with 12 African countries and provided waivers of matured interest-free loan for 15 African countries. "China has suspended more debt service than any other G20 member."
Twenty years ago, FOCAC entered a new era of political mutual trust and all-round cooperation between China and Africa. Wang said 20 years on, FOCAC has become a new model of friendship, cooperation and common development among developing countries.
"Together, we have drafted and implemented the 10 cooperation plans and the eight major initiatives. With China's help, over 6,000 kilometers of railways, 6,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 20 ports and over 80 large power plants have been built in Africa. Two-way trade has grown by 20-fold and China's direct investment in Africa 100-fold. We have expanded cooperation with Africa in new business forms like digital economy, smart city, clean energy and 5G, thus boosting high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation between the two sides," he said.
Noting that China and Africa will have FOCAC meetings in Senegal in 2021, Wang said in this context, China will work with Africa on the three priority areas of vaccine cooperation, economic recovery and transformative development to build new consensus on solidarity, break new ground for cooperation, and deliver new benefits to the people.
'For the people', 'by the people'
The principle of for the people and by the people has been a source of strength for the Communist Party of China. It is also the defining feature of China's diplomacy, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
Throughout the year 2020, we have pooled every resource available and lost no time in delivering people-centered diplomacy.
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister
"Throughout the year 2020, we have pooled every resource available and lost no time in delivering people-centered diplomacy. We have defied risks and danger to put up a firm line of defense for our fellow Chinese in every corner of the world," Wang said in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group.
He said that despite challenges brought by COVID-19, China's consular services and its consular work in general have continued uninterrupted, and "the safety of overseas Chinese has remained our priority no matter what."
"We overcame various difficulties to deliver more than 1.2 million health kits to overseas Chinese students, sent emergency medical supplies to overseas Chinese in 100-plus countries, and arranged over 350 special flights to bring home stranded Chinese nationals," Wang said.
With COVID-19 still ravaging the world, the risk of case import continues to rise and consular protection remains a formidable task, he said, pledging to press ahead against all difficulties and make solid efforts to prevent imported cases and protect and assist overseas Chinese citizens.
Continuous efforts in global COVID-19 response
Wang also said that China will continue to advance global cooperation on epidemic response, strengthen joint prevention and control, and assist countries and regions in need.
"We will never slacken such efforts until humanity secures a final victory against COVID-19," he said.
ALSO READ: Xi hails strengthened ties in pandemic fight
To help people across the world prevailing over the virus, China has provided assistance to over 150 countries and 10 international organizations, sent 36 medical teams to 34 countries in need and provided funding to WHO and other relevant UN agencies, according to Wang.
As the largest manufacturer of medical supplies, China has provided countries around the world with over 220 billion masks, 2.25 billion protective suits and over 1 billion testing kits, Wang said.
"We were the first to pledge to make vaccines a global public good, bearing in mind the greater good of humanity," he said.
