China says Biden administration offers ‘new window of hope’ for relations
Beijing says Joe Biden offers ‘new window of hope’ to bring relations back on track after Donald Trump’s ‘completely wrong China policy’.
The Chinese government has described the incoming Biden administration as a “new window of hope” to bring relations back on track.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in an interview that President Donald Trump had adopted a “completely wrong China policy”. He urged Mr Biden to “pick up rationality, reopen dialogues, bring the bilateral relations back on track and restart co-operation”.
Mr Wang told the state news agency Xinhua: “The fundamental reason is that the US authorities have seriously misunderstood China and regarded China as the so-called greatest threat, thus adopting a completely wrong policy.”
The interview came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the Chinese leadership as a “fragile dictatorship” that had crushed freedoms. The Trump administration shifted America’s China policy from engagement to “principled realism”.
Beijing blames Mr Trump for the souring of the relationship between the two superpowers over trade. Relations were further troubled by the crushing of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, espionage, the origins of the coronavirus and Taiwan, the self-governing island that China regards as its territory.
Mr Biden is expected to take a hardline approach similar to that of Mr Trump but the Chinese Foreign Minister appeared to be offering an olive branch.
Mr Wang said the two countries were at a crossroads but that Beijing would seek co-operation and stability without interfering in US domestic politics.
“In the same vein, the US should also respect the social system and development road the Chinese people have picked and respect the legitimate rights of the Chinese people to pursue a better life,” he added.
There was little sign, of compromise on Taiwan, however. Beijing dismissed as a “cheap trick” Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s call for meaningful dialogue.
In a speech to mark the new year Ms Tsai called for talks between Beijing and the island, which has a defence pact with Washington.
Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for China, said that the offer exposed Taiwan’s intention to pursue independence from the mainland.
The Times
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