Beijing hopes Blinken visit to boost dialogue

Beijing hopes that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China will help effectively manage differences between the two countries, strengthen dialogue and advance mutually beneficial cooperation, said an official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs.

While briefing the media on Blinken's three-day visit, which will start on Wednesday, the official, who declined to be named, said that Beijing urges Washington to turn the commitments made by United States President Joe Biden into concrete actions.

During a telephone conversation with President Xi Jinping on April 2, Biden reiterated that the U.S. does not seek a new Cold War, and that its objective is not to change China's system, its alliances do not target China, the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence", and it does not seek conflict with China. The U.S. also doesn't want to curtail China's development and doesn't seek "decoupling" from China, he added.

Noting that China's door for dialogue and communication has always been open, the official said the U.S. must be aware that communication should not be conducted for its own sake, and that Washington should not always say one thing but do another. The U.S. should also abandon the illusion of dealing with China from a position of strength, the official added.

There were, are and will be differences between China and the U.S., but these differences should not dominate the bilateral relationship, the official said.

The official urged the U.S. not to cross China's red lines on the Taiwan question or on issues related to human rights, the political system and development rights.

While calling China's determination and will to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests unwavering, the official said the Chinese side will use Blinken's visit to firmly articulate its position and make clear demands to the U.S. on the Taiwan question and the issues of economy and trade, technology and the South China Sea.

"We firmly oppose the politicization of economic, trade and technological issues by the U.S.. We also warn the U.S. that suppressing Chinese technology is tantamount to restraining China's high-quality development and depriving the Chinese people of their legitimate right to development. China will resolutely respond to this," the official said.

The official also voiced China's firm opposition to U.S. intervention on the South China Sea issue and sowing discord between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The U.S. is not a party to the South China Sea issue and should not intervene, let alone disrupt the situation, the official said.

Regarding the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict, the official urged the U.S. to fulfill its international responsibilities, support United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728, and work toward achieving an immediate and full cease-fire in the Gaza Strip to rescue the Palestinian people from the dire situation, the official said.

Regarding the Ukraine crisis, the official said the U.S. needs to refrain from adding fuel to the fire or seeking to benefit from the situation, refrain from attacking and smearing the normal state-to-state relations between China and Russia, and avoid stirring up bloc confrontation, the official added.

The official also expressed concerns about U.S. deployment of intermediate-range missile launch systems in the Philippines, saying that the move has heightened regional tension and increased the risk of misunderstanding and misjudgment.