Beijing said on Wednesday that it hopes Washington will take a rational and pragmatic policy toward China and do more to enhance bilateral trust and cooperation to bring their relationship back to the right track of sound and stable development.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remark after the latest Gallup poll showed that among Americans, favorable ratings of China have plummeted to a record low 20 percent.
People from the two countries enjoy a long friendship, which has been the vitality and foundation of bilateral ties, Wang said at a daily news conference.
The last US administration and anti-China forces in the county, however, launched accusations against China, stirred up confrontation and division, and spread a political virus, which have poisoned the atmosphere of public opinion in both states, Wang noted.
Recently, China and the US carried out a series of exchange activities at various levels, including telephone conversations between the two heads of state, as well as among top diplomats, a virtual conference between Chinese and US local legislators, and a forum attended by former politicians, experts and scholars from both sides.
The spokesman also cited a recent survey as saying that a considerable number of US respondents support maintaining people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, while 72 percent of respondents said the US should positively carry out climate change cooperation with China.
"Both sides should ride with public opinion, as well as the expectations of the international community, to maintain and strengthen dialogue and communication in various areas," Wang said.
China hopes the US will view the county and bilateral ties in a rational and objective way and meet each other halfway, he said.
He added that China also hopes the media will report Sino-American relations objectively to better play the role as a bridge to deepen mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples.
