Beijing wants US halt Olympics interference; implement consensus

China is demanding the U.S. end “interference” in the Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin next week, in an apparent reference to a diplomatic boycott imposed by Washington and some of its allies.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the demand in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

According to Xinhua, the phone call was mainly to discuss the China-U.S. relations and the current situation in Ukraine.

The top priority for China and the United States at present is to truly implement the important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden during their video meeting in November last year, said Wang, Xinhua reported.

During the video meeting, Wang recalled, Xi summarized the experience and lessons of China-U.S. exchanges over past more than half a century, and put forward three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, charting the course for the healthy development of China-U.S. relations.

Biden responded positively by then, and said that the United States neither seeks a “new Cold War” with China, nor pursues a change in China’s system, the revitalization of its alliances is not anti-China, and the country does not support “Taiwan independence,” and has no intention to have conflict and confrontation with China, sending a positive signal which is different from the previous U.S. administration, said the Chinese foreign minister.

However, Wang said, what the world has seen is that there has been no substantive change in the tone of the U.S. policy towards China and Biden’s pledges have not been fully delivered.

The U.S. side is still making erroneous words and deeds related to China, which have dealt a new blow to bilateral relations, Wang added.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the “Shanghai Communique,” Wang said that China and the United States having no intention of changing each other is the precondition of the normalization of bilateral relations, and should be the guarantee of peaceful coexistence between the two countries in the future.

Competition between major countries is not the theme of a post-pandemic world that will encounter new situations and challenges, nor will it address the problems facing the United States and countries worldwide, Wang said.

China and the United States, as the world’s two largest economies and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should bear in mind the fundamental interests of the people of both countries, follow the trend of global development, and well implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, he said.

Wang said the two countries must have a good grasp of the general direction of bilateral ties, take concrete actions to fulfill commitments, expand the positive aspects of bilateral cooperation, and manage differences constructively.

Pressure will only make the Chinese people more united, and confrontation will not stop China from becoming stronger, he stressed.

At present, the top priority for the U.S. side is to stop interfering in the Beijing Winter Olympics, stop playing with fire by playing the “Taiwan card,” and stop forming all kinds of small cliques aimed at working against and containing China, he said, quoted by Xinhua.

For his part, Blinken said it is important for the two sides to maintain regular communication, stressing the position that U.S. President Joe Biden elaborated in the virtual meeting between the two heads of state has not changed.

The United States and China have shared interests as well as differences, Blinken said, noting the United States is ready to manage differences responsibly.

The U.S. stance on the one-China policy remains unchanged, he said, and the United States will cheer for its athletes who participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics and wish the Chinese people a happy Chinese New Year.

Blinken then stated the U.S. position on issues including the issue of Ukraine.

The Chinese foreign minister said to address the tensions in Ukraine, it is necessary to return to the 2015 Minsk Agreements approved by the Security Council, which is a fundamental political document recognized by all parties and should be implemented in earnest.

China will support any effort that conforms to the direction and spirit of the agreements, he said, adding China calls on all parties to remain calm and refrain from inflaming tensions or hyping up the crisis.

According to Xinhua, Wang stressed that the security of one country should not be at the expense of the security of others, and regional security should not be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs.

In the 21st century, all parties should completely abandon the Cold War mentality and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations, he said, adding Russia’s legitimate security concerns should be taken seriously and addressed.

A brief statement from the State Department said that Blinken and Wang exchanged views on how to manage strategic risk, health security and climate change. It did not mention the Olympics or Taiwan, the Associated Press reported yesterday.

Blinken underscored the economic and security risks posed by Russian aggression against Ukraine, the statement said.

The phone call follows the appointment of veteran diplomat Nicholas Burns as the new U.S. ambassador to China, a position that has remained empty for more than a year. MDT/Agencies