Photo: WANG ZHAO / AFP / Getty Images
China urged the United States to stop “demonizing” him and considering him an “imaginary enemy” during an infrequent meeting between senior representatives of Beijing and Washington in the city of Tianjin, in the northeast of the Asian country.
“ The relationship between China and the United States are at a standstill and facing serious difficulties. Basically, it’s because some Americans see China as an ‘imaginary enemy’ , “Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng told the US Deputy Secretary of State. , Wendy Sherman, according to a statement released by that department of the Asian giant.
“ We urge the US to change its wrong mindset and dangerous policy , ”Xie told Sherman, who arrived in China last night for a two-day visit, agreed with Exteriors.
According to the Chinese thesis, it would be the same demonization that the United States carried out against Japan during World War II or against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
No apparent progress
Although some analysts had anticipated that not much should be expected from this meeting – the first among high represent before Beijing and Washington on Chinese soil since April-, the statement published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not give clear clues about a possible rapprochement of positions.
“China wants to work with the United States to find common ground while putting differences aside. After all, a healthy China-US relationship is good for both parties. And the world expects no less from both, “Xie said, according to the statement.
That desired relationship would consist, he added, of international relations.” that present mutual respect, equality, justice and mutual benefit, and a community with a shared future for humanity. ”
The rest – at least of what has transpired publicly – it was in a combative line, as happened during the heated meeting between both parties in Alaska last March.
“Veiled attempt to contain and repress China”
Xie considered the American discourse of competition, collaboration and the Chinese adversary to be a “veiled attempt to contain and repress China.”
“ American policy seems to be to ask for cooperation when you want something from China “, he said, and” in desac oppress economies, cut supplies, block or sanction China when it thinks it can gain an advantage. ”
“ Do wrong and achieve good results How is that going to be possible? ”He wondered.
The Deputy Minister assured that Washington “has abandoned the universally recognized international order and law and damaged the international system that it helped to build.”
“He is trying to replace it with the so-called ‘international rule-based order’” with the “purpose of changing them to make life easier for himself and difficult for others and to introduce the law of the jungle ”, something that, he added, he is trying to carry out with the help of“ a few other western countries. ”
In addition, he said that the United States is also the “inventor and owner of the intellectual property” of coercive diplomacy, while China – he assured – “has never coerced any country. ís ”since“ the desire to seek hegemony or territorial expansion is simply not in the Chinese DNA. ”
New normal?
Two days before Sherman’s arrival in Tianjin, China announced sanctions against six US citizens and one institution in response to those issued on 16 July by Washington against seven Chinese officials for “undermining the autonomy” of Hong Kong.
This dynamic According to Chinese analysts quoted today by the state newspaper Global Times, it could become “the new normal” when it comes to interacting with Washington.
Sherman is scheduled to return to the United States today without news that he will finally meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as had been speculated.
The visit to Tianjin is part of the Asian tour that the “number two” of American diplomacy
Relations between Beijing and Washington began to deteriorate in 2018, when former President Donald Trump started a war trade with China that later expanded to fields such as technology and diplomatic, among others.
After the arrival of Joe Biden to the White House In January, both countries have tried to redirect relations, although Washington has for the moment continued the policy of sanctions and vetoes on Chinese companies initiated by Trump.