The flags of China, USA and Chinese Communist Party will be displayed on May 10, 2019 in a flag stall at the Yiwu Wholesale Market in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China.
Aly Song | Reuters
BEIJING – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that the US must remove “unreasonable restrictions” on relations between the two countries in order to continue under President Joe Biden’s government.
Wang’s remarks come as tensions between the US and China have escalated over the past few years under former President Donald Trump, whose term ended in January. So far, the Biden government has maintained a tough position over China, calling the country a more assertive “competitor” and expressing concern about Beijing’s stance on Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.
The central government of China considers the issues as part of its domestic affairs.
“When I talk about the relations between China and the USA, I believe that both parties must adhere to the principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs,” Wang said. This is according to an official English translation of his remarks in Mandarin during a press conference held in conjunction with the annual parliamentary meeting of the “Two Sessions” in Beijing, the country’s largest political event of the year.
Biden-Xi phone call
According to the White House, in February, Biden expressed a “fundamental concern” about Beijing’s actions on issues such as Hong Kong, in a two-hour call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the time, the two leaders also discussed how to counter the coronavirus pandemic, by working together on climate change and preventing the spread of weapons.
Wang said on Sunday that the two countries could also work together on the economic recovery of the pandemic, and pointed to the phone call as a positive basis for rebuilding the bilateral relationship.
“We are ready to work with the United States to follow up on the outcome of this important call and put China – US relations on a new path of healthy and steady growth,” he said.