China calls for mutual respect in strengthening relations with US

2017-08-07
Xinhua

Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers’ meetings in Manila, the Philippines, Aug 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

MANILA — China and the United States, as two permanent members of the UN Security Council, should enhance mutual trust and strengthen dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Aug 6.

“This will not only benefit our two countries, but also show the world the bright future of more positive, more predictable and more sustainable relations between our two countries,” Wang said at a meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Wang and Tillerson met on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit foreign ministers’ meeting and a series of other meetings which are being held in the Philippine capital city of Manila.

In the past over forty years, confrontations have been avoided and development momentum has been kept in the relations between China and the United States. One important experience in achieving this is that the one-China policy and the three China-US joint communiques have been observed, Wang said.

“Our two sides should adhere to the above useful experience and overcome any new obstacles that arise in the development of our bilateral relations,” Wang said.

Wang pointed out that the relationship between China and the United States has on the whole maintained stable growth, but there are still some sensitive issues that need to be handled carefully.

Tillerson said that for the United States and China, as the world’s largest and second largest economies, to stay away from conflicts and confrontations not only benefit both countries’ interests but also global peace and development.

The two sides should seriously think about how to define the bilateral relations for the next fifty years based on current successes, he said.

The two sides also exchanged opinions on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the South China Sea issue, among others.

Wang said that through joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and shown positive progress.

He hoped that the United States would respect efforts made by China and ASEAN countries in maintaining regional peace and stability, and to play a constructive role in this aspect.

In an objective, fair and responsible manner, China has made great efforts in dealing with the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Wang said.

To merely exert sanctions is not a solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, he said.

China hopes that the United States could seriously consider the “double suspension” proposal, which requires the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-South Korean military drills, Wang said.