China and the United States can consider more maritime cooperation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday. [Special coverage]
China and the United States are two major countries, and there are both cooperation and friction between them, said Wang at a press conference.
"In the face of problems, our task is to resolve them. We want to expand and deepen cooperation and work hard to turn friction into cooperation," he said.
He cited the joint efforts of the two countries to ensure the success of the Paris conference on climate change last year and the establishment of dialogue and cooperation mechanisms in cyber security between the two countries.
Regarding the U.S. recent announcement of trade restrictions on a Chinese company, Wang said: "We do not think it is the right approach to handle economic and trade disputes. This approach will only hurt others without necessarily benefiting oneself."
Recently, there are more frictions concerning maritime issues, Wang said, "but I think when the U.S. truly cools down, it is entirely possible for us to do more to consider conducting maritime cooperation."
The source of frictions is that some people in the United States have strategic suspicions about China, worrying China will supersede the U.S. one day.
"China is not the U.S., and China will not and cannot become another U.S.," said the foreign minister. "We have no intention of displacing or dominating anybody."
"President Xi Jinping has pointed out time and again that when China and the U.S. work together, we can accomplish great things that benefit our two countries and the whole world," Wang said.
The Sino-U.S. relationship has gone through a lot and now the two countries have embarked on a path of building a new model of major-country relationship featuring no confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, said Wang.
This is in accordance with the long-term and shared interests of both countries and also conforms to the trends of the world's development, said the official.
"It is our hope that whatever the change of government and leader, the U.S. side can work with China and take firm steps in the right direction," said Wang.
(Updated)
