Seeking cooperation is necessary, not a choice. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on China US relations: exaggerating competition has 100 drawbacks but no benefits

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin, stated on the 1st that exaggerating competition has 100 drawbacks but no benefits, and seeking cooperation is necessary rather than a choice. The fact has repeatedly proven that cooperation between China and the United States benefits both sides, while conflict harms both. We need to break away from the logic of competition and confrontation, take into account each other's interests and concerns, seek the greatest common denominator of communication and cooperation, draw the greatest concentric circle of cooperation and win-win, and contribute the wisdom and strength of major powers to the development and common prosperity of China and the United States, and to global peace and development.

At the regular press conference that day, a reporter asked: "We have noticed that since the beginning of this year, American media has paid much more attention to competition than cooperation when reporting on China US relations, with over 70% of reports discussing competition.". At the same time, there are continuous rational voices in the political, business, and academic circles of the United States calling for strengthening cooperation with China, hoping that China and the United States can promote development through rational competition, strengthen rather than weaken economic interdependence, oppose decoupling and disconnection, and oppose the Cold War with China. What is the spokesperson's comment on this?

Wang Wenbin stated that currently, when discussing China US relations, the US always mentions competition, as if competition has become the biggest theme, or even the entire issue, of China US relations.

"The attitude and position of the Chinese side are clear. Competition should help promote and enhance each other, in line with the common interests and expectations of both sides and the international community. We should not use any means to create obstacles for each other and pull them down." Wang Wenbin said that the United States constantly promotes competition, but what the international community sees is that the United States uses its national machinery in the name of competition to gain an advantage, suppress and contain China from all sides and fields, and engage in tariff wars, trade wars, technology wars, chip wars, and rule wars. These actions by the United States are not competition at all, but a blatant zero sum Cold War mentality. Essentially, they deprive the Chinese people of the right to choose their own development path, the right to pursue a better life, the right to legitimate development, and the right to achieve national reunification. China firmly opposes the use of competition as a means of containment and suppression. The US approach will only push China and the United States towards a confrontational conflict and push the world towards a new Cold War of division and turmoil.

"We do not avoid competition or fear competition, but competition should be fair and reasonable. It should be benign and regulated, with red lines and restricted areas. We cannot ignore market economy rules and basic norms of international relations, let alone use core interests as a means of competition or provocation." Wang Wenbin said that as two major countries, China and the United States should look at who can better govern the country and ensure the well-being of their own people, who can provide greater momentum for global post pandemic recovery and growth, who can provide more public goods to address climate change, who can provide better solutions to regional hot issues, and who can make both sides and the world 8 billion from the perspective of common interests and human destiny. The planet where humanity coexists is safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous.

Wang Wenbin said that competition is not the entirety of China US relations, and we oppose using competition to define all China US relations. In fact, the economic complementarity between China and the United States far exceeds competitiveness, and the essence of Sino US economic and trade cooperation is mutual benefit and win-win. Last year, the trade volume between China and the United States reached nearly 760 billion US dollars, setting a new historical high. It is normal to have some disagreements and friction with such a large volume. Seeking a win-win solution through equal consultation is the correct solution. The different systems between China and the United States do not hinder cooperation based on common interests, nor should it be a reason for confrontation between China and the United States. Under the current situation, the common interests between China and the United States have not decreased, but rather increased. Non conflict, non confrontation, and peaceful coexistence are the most fundamental common interests of both countries; The deep integration of the economies of the two countries, facing new development tasks, requires benefiting from each other's development, which is also a common interest; The global post pandemic recovery, addressing climate change, and addressing regional hotspots cannot be achieved without coordinated cooperation between China and the United States, which is still a common interest.

"There are hundreds of drawbacks to rendering competition without any benefits, and seeking cooperation is necessary rather than a choice. The fact has repeatedly proven that cooperation between China and the United States benefits both countries, while competition harms both." Wang Wenbin said that cooperation between China and the United States can accomplish many great things that are beneficial to both countries and the world, and confrontation between China and the United States is a disaster for both countries and the world. We need to break away from the logic of competition and confrontation, take into account each other's interests and concerns, seek the greatest common denominator of communication and cooperation, draw the greatest concentric circle of cooperation and win-win, and contribute the wisdom and strength of major powers to the development and common prosperity of China and the United States, and to global peace and development.