Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a speech on Sunday warned the US to get involved in China’s “internal affairs” and said that “both parties must adhere to the principle of non-interference,” CNBC reported.
Why it matters: Biden has promised a tough approach with China. Tensions between the US and China have increased for years under the Trump administration.
What he says: Wang called on the US to “remove all its unreasonable restrictions on bilateral cooperation as soon as possible” and “not create new barriers”, according to CNBC, although he did not specify what the restrictions are.
Secretary of State also urges US not to cross an “insurmountable red line” by interrupting China’s claim to Taiwan, according to AP. The democratically controlled island that tore off the continent in 1949.
- Wang said the Chinese government “has no room for compromise” on Taiwan, adding that Biden’s government “had to completely change the dangerous practices of the previous government to cross the border and play with fire”.
- “It is important that the United States recognizes this as soon as possible, otherwise the world will remain far from calm.”
Yes, but: Wang said the two countries could work together on issues such as the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. He pointed to a two-hour call between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year as a sign that the nations could rebuild their 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.