Chinese Foreign Minister: Good Relations Between Beijing and Washington Are No Longer a Choice, but a 'Necessity'

The Chinese Foreign Minister, in a ceremony commemorating 45 years of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, emphasized that cooperation between the two countries is no longer a choice but has become a 'necessity,' calling for the 'enhancement of bilateral relations.' Wang Yi stated at the ceremony held in Beijing on Friday, 'In the current global situation, the United States and China have more common interests than ever, and the need for bilateral cooperation has increased.' He further stressed that 'cooperation between China and the United States is no longer a necessary choice for the two countries or even for the world, but a mandatory demand that must be seriously addressed.' The Chinese Foreign Minister called for both sides to utilize all existing mechanisms to 'create more communication bridges' and also for full cooperation in the fields of diplomacy, economy, finance, trade, and agriculture. His conciliatory remarks come after a year of heightened tensions between the two superpowers, particularly following the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon in U.S. airspace earlier in 2023, which delayed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's diplomatic visit to China. While China's relations with Russia, ongoing threats from China against Taiwan, border disputes in the South China Sea, and issues related to fair trade have also disrupted Beijing's relations with Washington, the presidents of the two countries referenced the anniversary of diplomatic relations in their New Year messages to each other earlier this week. U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had an important four-hour meeting on November 16 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, which led to multiple agreements on strategic issues. Regarding the escalating crisis in the Middle East, Biden urged China to pressure the Islamic Republic of Iran to avoid actions that could be seen as provocative. Xi Jinping stated that the reunification of China with Taiwan is inevitable.