The Right Way for China and the United States to Get Along in the New Era

– Speech?by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Asia Society

New York, September?22,?2022

President Kevin Rudd of the Asia Society, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is good to be back in New York for the U.N.?General Assembly, and?meet friends?again after an interval of three years.

In the last few years, a lot has happened in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc; the global economy is in danger?of a recession; and the Ukraine crisis has persisted?and escalated. Issues involving?food, energy, industrial and supply chains and climate change have become more acute.

The past few years have seen China-U.S. relations at a low ebb since the establishment of?diplomatic ties. The reality of China-U.S. interdependence is?ignored; the history of our win-win cooperation is?misrepresented; channels?of dialogue and communication?are?blocked. And the bilateral relationship is?being?defined and impacted dangerously by so-called strategic competition. This is bringing tremendous uncertainty?to the future of our?peoples and to countries across the world.

It is widely held?that China-U.S. relations have well exceeded?the bilateral scope and carry implications for the?whole world. The global?community expects China and the U.S. to take the lead, fulfill the responsibility?as major countries, keep the bilateral ties stable and advance?global cooperation.

Since last year, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden have had several?rounds of strategic communication in flexible ways. President Xi pointed out that whether China and the U.S. can handle their relationship well bears on the future of the world. It is a question of the century to which the two countries must provide a good answer. President Biden said that the U.S.-China relationship is the most consequential relationship in the world, and how this relationship develops will shape the world in the 21st century.

Both Presidents agree that they should make the China-U.S. relationship work and not mess it up. They both believe the two countries should steer clear of conflict and confrontation. And they both?stand for?closer bilateral exchanges and cooperation. President Biden stressed many times that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence"; and it is not looking for conflict with China. People around the world hope that these important statements are translated into real actions.

If?two fine?orchestras are to work together harmoniously, their conductors must first set the same tone,?and all the players?must?follow the same music score. However, what has happened is that the U.S. team seems to have two different sets of music score. Their leader's political will of a stable bilateral relationship has yet?to be translated into logical policies. The Chinese people and people from?other countries find this confusing, and would naturally raise?questions:

How will the U.S. deliver on its promise of not aiming to change China's system, when it has framed a?false narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism", a narrative that deliberately amplifies an?ideological confrontation with?China and takes aim at?China's political system, development path and governing party?

How can a new Cold War be prevented,?when the U.S.?has, identifying?China as the primary rival and the most serious long-term challenge, engaged in?all-round containment, sought to encircle China by shaping the strategic environment around it, pressed other?countries to pick sides and formed?various?small circles that exclude China?

How will the U.S. honor its important statement of not supporting "Taiwan independence"?when it has, regardless of China's strong opposition, allowed its House Speaker to visit Taiwan again after 25 years, kept elevating substantive relations with Taiwan by repeated?official exchanges and?arms sales including?many offensive weapons, and is advancing?the deliberation of the "Taiwan Policy Act" that threatens?the very foundation of China-U.S. relations?underpinned by?the three Joint Communiqués?

And how to keep?the industrial and supply chains between China?and?the U.S. and of the world?stable, when the U.S.?prolongs?the trade war with China, keeping in place the extra?tariffs on US$360 billion of Chinese goods?though ruled inconsistent with the WTO rules, and?extending the list of Chinese companies under its?sanctions?to?over 1,000 entities and individuals?

The United States has,?on the one hand, made repeated?provocations on issues involving?China's core interests and development rights and interests, yet on the other, expressed a desire to keep the bilateral ties stable and prevent?conflict and confrontation. This is self-contradictory?in both logic and reality.

What is the crux of the matter? It boils down to how the United States perceives?China, the world and itself. Be it?full confrontation or strategic competition, both have deviated?from the right?course of China-U.S. relations.

Such deviations?are?dangerous and come at a high price. Mr. Kevin Rudd described the current China-U.S. relations as in?a workshop with exposed wires and cables lying everywhere, water on the floor and sparks flying. Mr. Joseph Nye compared the?relations?to?a sleepwalking syndrome that?could stumble into a new Cold War. Should?the United States handle its relations with China with?a zero-sum mindset and continue to let "political correctness" misguide its China policy, it won't find solutions to its own problems, but?lead China-U.S. relations to conflict and confrontation. The message we must send, loud and clear,?is that?now?is the time to make serious reflections?and get back onto?the right track!