US-China Relations Updates

In a forum on July 3, former Chinese Amassador to the US,  Cui Tiankai, responded to Washington’s recent enthusiasm for “setting up fences” for US-China relations by questioning the usefulness of such fences if the relationship is already on the wrong track. He asserted that both sides need sufficient political will to ensure that the relationship is heading in the right direction before fences can work.

Cui also responded to recent remarks made by US Secretary of State Binken, who stated that the US will continue to do things that China does not like and say things that China does not agree with. Cui stated that China never expected the US to say or do things that would please China, nor did China ever promise to say or do things that would please the US. However, he emphasized that the key is for both sides to find ways to truly respect each other and achieve peaceful coexistence, which is not a matter of pleasing each other.

Cui made these remarks at the 11th World Peace Forum hosted by Tsinghua University and the China People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament. He expressed hope that the future of US-China relations will be beneficial to both countries and the world, requiring a common political will rather than a zero-sum mentality of “I win, you lose.”

Cui also noted that he fully agrees with the view that China and the US can cooperate in many areas. He recalled the pragmatic cooperation between China and the US on the Ebola issue in Africa when he was in Washington, where military medical personnel from both countries worked together on the ground. He suggested that similar cooperation should be expanded to other areas.

Regarding recent contacts between China and the US, Cui stated that high-level exchanges between the two sides are positive, and it is better to talk than not to talk. However, he also noted that after Blinken’s visit to China, when he returned to the US, he stated that the US will continue to say and do things that China does not like. Cui emphasized that China never expected to please the US with its words and actions, and the key is to find a way for both sides to respect each other and achieve peaceful coexistence.

Finally, Cui expressed his opposition to the expansion of NATO to the Asia-Pacific region, stating that the region does not need NATO and that the appearance of NATO in the region could mean its decline.