SHANGHAI: In his first public remarks since being appointed as head of the ruling Communist Party’s foreign affairs office, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi stated on Sunday that China and the United States must engage in dialogue rather than confrontation and avoid the mistakes made during the Cold War.
Although Wang was replaced as China’s foreign minister on Friday by Qin Gang, a former ambassador to the United States, it was widely anticipated that he would continue to play a significant role in foreign policy following his promotion to the Politburo, the country’s highest decision-making body, in October.
Wang urged major nations to “set an example” in the face of multiple challenges in an essay that was published in the official Party journal Seeking Truth. He cited China’s increased cooperation with Russia over the course of 2022.
“We have unremittingly explored the correct way for the two major countries of China and the United States to get along with one another over the past year,” he wrote.
He stated, “The two countries should establish a way to get along with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, and put China-US relations back on the right path to health and stability.”
During Wang’s time as foreign minister, tensions between Beijing and Washington soared on a variety of fronts, including trade and Taiwan.
In his Sunday essay, he stated that Taiwan remained at the “core of China’s core interests” and served as the “foundation” for China’s political relationship with the United States.
