Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi answers questions on China's foreign policy and foreign relations at a press conference for the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
China and the United States should make concerted efforts to maintain the steady and healthy development of their relations in the face of new challenges, observers have said.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday during a press conference on the sidelines of China's ongoing annual parliamentary session, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the China-U.S. relationship is transitioning steadily and developing in a positive direction through intense communication and joint efforts of both sides.[Special coverage]
"As long as we act on the consensus reached between our presidents, follow the principle of no conflicts and no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, there is no reason why China and the United States cannot become excellent partners," he added.
Observers believe that achieving the smooth transition of bilateral ties and ensuring the healthy development of China-U.S. relations are not only in the fundamental interests of both peoples, but also exerting a positive effect on the promotion of world peace, stability and development.
NEW CHALLENGES
China-U.S. relations are facing new challenges as populism in the West is picking up, the anti-globalization trend is surging, the international forces are taking on new faces, and the international order is restructuring. Inside the United States, anti-globalization and isolationism are also on the rise.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration sticks to the "America First" principle, meaning putting the U.S. interests in the first place and trying to use "Americanism" to replace globalism, Zuo Xiying, researcher at the National Development and Strategic Research Institute of Renmin University of China, told Xinhua.
Zuo believes that Trump would steer further away from the diplomatic heritage left by his predecessor, Barack Obama, and adjust the security strategy for the Asia-Pacific and probably for China as well, which could bring new challenges to bilateral ties.
On the economic front, Trump has advocated to impose 45 percent tariffs on Chinese products and promised to label China as "exchange rate manipulator." In a recent interview with Reuters, he still called China a "grand champion" of currency manipulation.
Furthermore, Trump claimed in his first address to Congress on Feb. 28 that the United States has "lost 60,000 factories" since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Analysts thus voiced concern that Washington's trade friction with China and other countries may significantly exacerbate.
MUTUAL INTERESTS
Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1979, China and the United States have gone through its share of ups and downs, growing into one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. What's more, such an engagement has proved capable of navigating rough waters and keeping moving forward.
It is also noticeable that mutual interests, rather than conflicts, have always been the mainstream in China-U.S. ties, with economic and trade cooperation serving as an important element.
