(미중 알래스카 고위급회담, 미국 국무부&중국 외교부 발표210318)Secretary Antony J. Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Director Yang And State Councilor Wang At the Top of Their Meeting

www.c-span.org/video/?510091-1/secretary-blinken-chinese-foreign-minister-clash-meeting-anchorage-alaska

C-SPN

MARCH 18, 2021

U.S.-China Summit in Anchorage, Alaska

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met in Alaska with Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi and Yang Jiechi, director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party.

Secretary Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Clash at Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska

 

*구체적 성과 없이 끝난 미중 회담…기후변화·북한 문제 등 협력 여지 남겨
-지난 18~19일(현지시간) 미국 알래스카에서 열린 미중 고위급 회담이 구체적 성과 없이 마무리. 양국은 바이든 정부 출범 이후 처음 열린 고위급 회담에서 첫 만남부터 설전을 주고 받으며 양국 관계가 순탄치 않을 것임을 예고. 다만 예상대로 공동 발표문 같은 뚜렷한 결과를 내놓지는 못했지만, 양쪽 모두 ‘솔직한 대화가 이뤄졌다’며 회담에 대해 긍정 평가. 또 양측 입장차를 확인한 자리였지만 기후변화나 북한 문제 등에 대해 서로 협력할 여지가 있음을 확인한 자리로 평가.
-미국측 대표인 토니 블링컨 국무장관과 제이크 설리번 백악관 국가안보보좌관은 중국과의 회담 후 국부무 홈페이지에 공개한 성명에서 “광범위한 의제로 많은 시간 매우 솔직한 대화를 나눴다”며 “이란, 북한, 아프가니스탄, 기후변화 등에 있어 관심사가 교차한다”고 밝힘. 또 “동맹국, 파트너들과 계속 협의하며, 정상적 외교 경로를 통해 중국과 계속 협력하겠다”고 밝혀 향후 대화 지속 가능성을 시사. 중국측 대표인 양제츠 외교담당 정치국원과 왕이 외교부장도 회담 후 “솔직하고 건설적인 교류를 했고, 이번 대화가 상호 이해 증진에 도움이 됐다”면서 “각 분야에서 소통하고 교류하길 원하며 서로 충돌하지 않고 존중하는 원칙에 따라 미중 관계가 건강하고 안정적 궤도로 발전하도록 해야 한다”고 밝힘.
-전반적으로는 이번 회담이 양측의 입장차를 확인하며 관계 개선의 신호를 보여주기엔 실망스런 결과였다는 평가가 나오지만, 양국은 일부 대화 진전의 가능성을 남긴 것으로 보임. 중국 외교부는 회담 소식을 전하면서 “양측이 모두 고위급 전략 소통을 계속하길 바란다”면서 양측이 기후변화에 관한 공동 워킹그룹을 설립할 것이고 영사 활동 촉진이나 기자들에 관한 문제, 여행과 비자 정책 등에 대해 논의할 것이라고 밝힘. 이는 미국측이 구체적으로 언급하지 않은 문제지만 기후변화 문제와 함께 트럼프 정부 시절 폐쇄된 양측 영사관 운영 재개나 양국간 기자 추방 문제 등에 대한 일부 진전된 논의가 있었음을 시사하는 것으로 보임.

 

Secretary Antony J. Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Director Yang And State Councilor Wang At the Top of Their Meeting

REMARKS

ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, MARCH 18, 2021

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, and welcome.  On behalf of National Security Advisor Sullivan and myself, I want to welcome Director Yang and State Councilor Wang to Alaska, and to thank you very much for making the journey to be with us.

I just returned myself from meetings with Secretary of Defense Austin and our counterparts in Japan and the Republic of Korea, two of our nation’s closest allies.  They were very interested in the discussions that we’ll have here today and tomorrow because the issues that we’ll raise are relevant not only to China and the United States, but to others across the region and indeed around the world.  Our administration is committed to leading with diplomacy to advance the interests of the United States and to strengthen the rules-based international order.

That system is not an abstraction.  It helps countries resolve differences peacefully, coordinate multilateral efforts effectively, and participate in global commerce with the assurance that everyone is following the same rules.  The alternative to a rules-based order is a world in which might makes right and winners take all, and that would be a far more violent and unstable world for all of us.  Today, we’ll have an opportunity to discuss key priorities, both domestic and global, so that China can better understand our administration’s intentions and approach. 

We’ll also discuss our deep concerns with actions by China, including in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber attacks on the United States, and economic coercion toward our allies.  Each of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability.  That’s why they’re not merely internal matters and why we feel an obligation to raise these issues here today.

I said that the United States relationship with China will be competitive where it should be, collaborative where it can be, adversarial where it must be.  Our discussions here in Alaska, I suspect, will run the gamut.  Our intent is to be direct about our concerns, direct about our priorities, with the goal of a more clear-eyed relationship between our countries moving forward.  Thank you for being here. 

And before turning to you, Mr. Director, I’d like to invite National Security Advisor Sullivan to say a few words.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SULLIVAN:  Thank you, Mr. Secretary, and welcome to Director Yang and State Councilor Wang.  It’s fitting that we’re meeting here in Alaska.  We may be far from the continental United States, but there are few places that are as quintessentially American: big-hearted, resilient, intrepid.  This is truly a fitting place for us to host this meeting.

Secretary Blinken and I are proud of the story about America we’re able to tell here about a country that, under President Biden’s leadership, has made major strides to control the pandemic, to rescue our economy, and to affirm the strength and staying power of our democracy.  We’re particularly proud of the work that we’ve done to revitalize our alliances and partnerships, the foundation of our foreign policy.  Just last week, President Biden hosted the Quad leaders’ summit that spoke to the can-do spirit of the world’s democracies and committed to realize the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.  It is through partnerships like these that all of us can deliver progress and prosperity for our peoples.

Secretary Blinken laid out many of the areas of concern, from economic and military coercion to assaults on basic values, that we’ll discuss with you today and in the days ahead.  We’ll do so frankly, directly, and with clarity.  These are the concerns that are on the minds of the American people, but it goes beyond that.  We’ve heard each of these concerns posed from around the world – from our allies and partners to the broader international community during the intensive consultations we’ve undertaken in the last two months.

We’ll make clear today that our overriding priority from the United States’ side is to ensure that our approach in the world and our approach to China benefits the American people and protects the interests of our allies and partners.  We do not seek conflict, but we welcome stiff competition and we will always stand up for our principles, for our people, and for our friends.  We look forward to discussing all of these matters with you in the hours ahead.  Thank you.

DIRECTOR YANG:  (In Mandarin.)

PARTICIPANT:  It’s a test for the interpreter. 

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  We’re going to give the translator a raise.  (Laughter.)

DIRECTOR YANG:  (Via interpreter) Secretary Blinken and Mr. Sullivan, the State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I have come to Anchorage, the United States to have this strategic dialogue with the United States.  We hope that this dialogue will be a sincere and candid one.  Both China and the United States are major countries in the world, and together we shoulder important responsibilities to the peace, stability, and development of the world and the region.  In China, we have just concluded the Lianghui, or the two sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.  During the sessions, we adopted the outline for the 14th five-year economic and social development plan and the long-range objectives through the year 2035.

For China, we are now in a historic year where we will move from finishing the first centenary goal to the second centenary goal, and by the year 2035 China will surely achieve basic modernization.  And by the year 2050, China will achieve full modernization.  China has made decisive achievements and important strategic gains in fighting COVID-19, and we have achieved a full victory in ending absolute poverty in China.  China’s per capita GDP is only one-fifth of that of the United States, but we have managed to end absolute poverty for all people in China.  And we hope that other countries, especially the advanced countries, will make similar efforts in this regard.  And China has also made historic achievements in building the country into a moderately prosperous one in all respects.  The Chinese people are wholly rallying around the Communist Party of China.  Our values are the same as the common values of humanity.  Those are: peace, development, fairness, justice, freedom, and democracy.

What China and the international community follow or uphold is the United Nations-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, not what is advocated by a small number of countries of the so-called “rules-based” international order.  And the United States has its style – United States-style democracy – and China has the Chinese-style democracy.  It is not just up to the American people, but also the people of the world to evaluate how the United States has done in advancing its own democracy.  In China’s case, after decades of reform and opening up, we have come a long way in various fields.  In particular, we have engaged in tireless efforts to contribute to the peace and development of the world, and to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

The wars in this world are launched by some other countries, which have resulted in massive casualties.  But for China, what we have asked for, for other countries, is to follow a path of peaceful development, and this is the purpose of our foreign policy.  We do not believe in invading through the use of force, or to topple other regimes through various means, or to massacre the people of other countries, because all of those would only cause turmoil and instability in this world.  And at the end of the day, all of those would not serve the United States well.

So we believe that it is important for the United States to change its own image and to stop advancing its own democracy in the rest of the world.  Many people within the United States actually have little confidence in the democracy of the United States, and they have various views regarding the Government of the United States.  In China, according to opinion polls, the leaders of China have the wide support of the Chinese people.  So no attempt to – the opinion polls conducted in the United States show that the leaders of China have the support of the Chinese people.  No attempt to smear China’s social system would get anywhere.  Facts have shown that such practices would only lead the Chinese people to rally more closely around the Communist Party of China and work steadily towards the goals that we have set for ourselves.

In 1952, China adopted its first five-year development plan, and now we are into the first year of the 14th five-year development plan.  We will continue along this path, step by step.  China’s development is not just about delivering benefits for the people of China, but also about contributing to the development of the world in the 21st century.  China and the United States are both major countries and both shoulder important responsibilities.  We must both contribute to the peace, stability, and development of the world in areas such as COVID-19, restoring economic activities in the world, and responding to climate change.  There are many things that we can do together and where our interests converge.

So what we need to do is to abandon the Cold War mentality and the zero-sum game approach.  We must change the way we think and make sure that in this century, the 21st century, countries big or small, particularly the big countries, should come united together to contribute to the future of humanity and build a community with a shared future for humankind.  It’s also important for all of us to come together to build a new type of international relations, ensuring fairness, justice, and mutual respect.  And on some regional issues, I think the problem is that the United States has exercised long-arm jurisdiction and suppression and overstretched the national security through the use of force or financial hegemony, and this has created obstacles for normal trade activities, and the United States has also been persuading some countries to launch attacks on China.

And as for China, we believe and we have handled import- and export-related issues according to scientific and technological standards.  Secretary Blinken, you said you just came back from Japan and the ROK.  Those two countries are China’s second and the third largest trading partners.  ASEAN has now become China’s largest trading partner, overtaking the European Union and the United States.  So we do hope that the United States will develop sound relations with all countries in the Asia-Pacific.  We should have many mutual friends.  This is the right way forward in the 21st century.

On the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden had a phone conversation.  The two presidents agreed to step up communication, manage differences, and expand cooperation between our two countries.  We are having this dialogue today to follow up on the common understanding of the two presidents reached during their phone conversation.  And having this dialogue is, in fact, a decision made by the two presidents.  So for the people of the two countries and the world, they’re hoping to see practical outcomes coming out of our dialogue.  And with Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan, they are an inalienable part of China’s territory.  China is firmly opposed to U.S. interference in China’s internal affairs.  We have expressed our staunch opposition to such interference and we will take firm actions in response.

On human rights, we hope that the United States will do better on human rights.  China has made steady progress in human rights and the fact is that there are many problems within the United States regarding human rights, which is admitted by the U.S. itself as well.  The United States has also said that countries can’t rely on force in today’s world to resolve the challenges we face.  And it is a failure to use various means to topple the so-called “authoritarian” states.  And the challenges facing the United States in human rights are deep-seated.  They did not just emerge over the past four years, such as Black Lives Matter.  It did not come up only recently.  So we do hope that for our two countries, it’s important that we manage our respective affairs well instead of deflecting the blame on somebody else in this world.

And for China, we will manage our own affairs well, and we hope to deliver a better life for our 1.4 billion Chinese people.  This is the goal of China’s diplomacy.  And also, we will make our contribution to the peace and stability of the world.  Since breaking the ice between our two countries in our engagement several decades ago, China and the United States have achieved a lot together.  This is the result of the concerted efforts of the people with vision of both countries, and this past is a part of our achievements.  Although so much has changed in this world, it is important that our two countries think about how we can work together and expand our cooperation under the new circumstances. 

If there is competition between our two countries, I think the competition focuses on the economic aspect, and in this area, as I have said just now, for frictions in our economic engagement, it is important to respond to them in a rational way and seek win-win results.  And China-U.S. trade has already achieved a lot, and we should do even better.  The overwhelming majority of American businesses in China have said that China’s business environment is good and nobody has forced them to stay in China.  They see a profit coming from their presence in China and they see immense opportunities in China.  That’s why they are staying in China.  And I believe that for our two countries, under the new circumstances, we need to enhance communication, properly manage our differences, and expand our cooperation instead of engaging in confrontation.

But between our two countries we’ve had confrontation in the past, and the result did not serve the United States well.  What did the United States gain from that confrontation?  I didn’t see any, and the only result was damages done to United States.  And China will pull through and has pulled through such confrontation.

So the way we see the relationship with the United States is as President Xi Jinping has said – that is, we hope to see no confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation with the United States.  And actually, during the phone call between the presidents, President Biden himself also talked about the importance of having no conflict or confrontation between our two countries.  So at our level, I think it’s vital that we do everything we can to fully and faithfully follow up and implement the understandings reached between our two presidents and bring back the China-U.S. relationship to the track of sound and steady growth.

On cyber attacks, let me say that whether it’s the ability to launch cyber attacks or the technologies that could be deployed, the United States is the champion in this regard.  You can’t blame this problem on somebody else.

The United States itself does not represent international public opinion, and neither does the Western world.  Whether judged by population scale or the trend of the world, the Western world does not represent the global public opinion.  So we hope that when talking about universal values or international public opinion on the part of the United States, we hope the U.S. side will think about whether it feels reassured in saying those things, because the U.S. does not represent the world.  It only represents the Government of the United States.  I don’t think the overwhelming majority of countries in the world would recognize that the universal values advocated by the United States or that the opinion of the United States could represent international public opinion, and those countries would not recognize that the rules made by a small number of people would serve as the basis for the international order.

Because, Mr. Secretary and NSA Sullivan, you have delivered some quite different opening remarks, mine will be slightly different as well.

STATE COUNCILOR WANG:  (Via interpreter) Well, I will stay quite brief compared with Director Yang.  Secretary Blinken, NSA Sullivan, you have been involved in the relationship with China for many years, so you’re also true friends for the Chinese people.  And I would say that I am pleased to meet you today, and China – the Chinese delegation – is here at the invitation of the United States.  And as NSA Sullivan said, Anchorage is the midpoint of the air route connecting our two countries, and it is fair to say that this place is a refueling station for China-U.S. exchanges and also a place that China and the United States can meet each other halfway. 

And China certainly in the past has not and in the future will not accept the unwarranted accusations from the U.S. side.  In the past several years, China’s legitimate rights and interests have come under outright suppression, plunging the China-U.S. relationship into a period of unprecedented difficulty.  This has damaged the interests of our two peoples and taken its toll on world stability and development, and this situation must no longer continue.  China urges the U.S. side to fully abandon the hegemonic practice of willfully interfering in China’s internal affairs.  This has been a longstanding issue and it should be changed.  It is time for it to change.  And in particular, on the 17th of March, the United States escalated its so-called sanctions on China regarding Hong Kong, and the Chinese people are outraged by this gross interference in China’s internal affairs and the Chinese side is firmly opposed to it.

Anchorage is a midpoint between China and the United States, but after all, it’s still the United States territory, and I accept that the Chinese delegation has come here at the invitation of the United States.  However, just the other day, before our departure, the United States passed these new sanctions.  This is not supposed to be the way one should welcome his guests, and we wonder if this is a decision made by the United States to try to gain some advantage in dealing with China, but certainly this is miscalculated and only reflects the vulnerability and weakness inside the United States.  And this will not shake China’s position or resolve on those issues.

And let me also say that the phone conversation that President Xi Jinping and President Biden had on the eve of the Chinese New Year is a very important one, and during this phone conversation they agreed to some common understandings that have pointed the way forward for us to bring back the China-U.S. relationship onto the right track.  And the international community is following very closely our dialogue for today and tomorrow.  They’re watching whether our two sides will each demonstrate goodwill and sincerity, and they are watching whether this dialogue will send out a positive signal to the world. 

So we will be watching what will happen today and tomorrow, and if United States is willing, I think our two sides should step up to this responsibility and deliver on this task that we are given.  I will stop here.  Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you very much.

(Break.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Mr. Director, State Councilor, given your extended remarks, permit me, please, to add just a few of my own before we get down to work, and I know Mr. Sullivan may have things to say as well.

I have to tell you, in my short time as Secretary of State, I have spoken to I think nearly a hundred counterparts from around the world, and I just made my first trip, as I noted, to Japan and South Korea.  I have to tell you, what I’m hearing is very different from what you described.  I’m hearing deep satisfaction that the United States is back, that we’re re-engaged with our allies and partners.  I’m also hearing deep concern about some of the actions your government has taken, and we’ll have an opportunity to discuss those when we get down to work.

A hallmark of our leadership, of our engagement in the world is our alliances and our partnerships that have been built on a totally voluntary basis.  And it is something that President Biden is committed to reinvigorating.

And there’s one more hallmark of our leadership here at home, and that’s a constant quest to, as we say, form a more perfect union.  And that quest, by definition, acknowledges our imperfections, acknowledges that we’re not perfect, we make mistakes, we have reversals, we take steps back.  But what we’ve done throughout our history is to confront those challenges openly, publicly, transparently, not trying to ignore them, not trying to pretend they don’t exist, not trying to sweep them under a rug.  And sometimes it’s painful, sometimes it’s ugly, but each and every time, we have come out stronger, better, more united as a country.

I recall well when President Biden was vice president and we were visiting China.  This was in the wake of the financial crisis.  There was much discussion then, including with then-Vice President Xi Jinping.  And Vice President Biden at the time said it’s never a good bet to bet against America, and it’s true today.

STAFF:  Thank you, press.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SULLIVAN:  Just briefly, to add to what Secretary Blinken has said – because I was actually going to make the same point without us even consulting – a confident country is able to look hard at its own shortcomings and constantly seek to improve.  And that is the secret sauce of America.

The other secret sauce of America is that our people are a problem-solving people, and we believe we solve problems best when we work together with allies and partners around the world.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the United States landed another rover on Mars, and it wasn’t just an American project.  It had technology from multiple countries from Europe and other parts of the world.  It is also going to leave behind a collection of material for Mars that the United States and Europe will build a device that can fly there to pick it up and bring it back.

That is what can be accomplished by a country that is constantly reinventing itself, working closely with others, and seeking constantly to produce the kind of progress that benefits all of us, and is rooted in a concept of human dignity and human rights that is truly universal that every man, woman, and child in this world aspires to.

So we will look forward to the conversation today, but I do hope this conversation will be one carried out with confidence on both sides.  So it’s not lectures or long, winding statements; it’s the opportunity for us to explain where we’re coming from, to hear where you are coming from, and to indicate, at bottom, what our principles, our priorities, and our long-term strategies are.  That’s what we hope for in the dialogue that lies ahead, that is the spirit with which we approach this, and we look forward to continuing the discussion today.  Thank you, everybody.

STAFF:  Thank you very much, everyone.

(Break.)

QUESTION:  (Off-mike.)

DIRECTOR YANG:  (Via interpreter) Well, it was my bad.  When I entered this room, I should have reminded the U.S. side of paying attention to its tone in our respective opening remarks, but I didn’t.

The Chinese side felt compelled to make this speech because of the tone of the U.S. side.

Well, isn’t this the intention of United States, judging from what – or the way that you have made your opening remarks, that it wants to speak to China in a condescending way from a position of strength?

So was this carefully all planned and was it carefully orchestrated with all the preparations in place?  Is that the way that you had hoped to conduct this dialogue?

Well, I think we thought too well of the United States.  We thought that the U.S. side will follow the necessary diplomatic protocols.  So for China it was necessary that we made our position clear.

So let me say here that, in front of the Chinese side, the United States does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength.  The U.S. side was not even qualified to say such things even 20 years or 30 years back, because this is not the way to deal with the Chinese people.  If the United States wants to deal properly with the Chinese side, then let’s follow the necessary protocols and do things the right way.

Cooperation benefits both sides.  In particular, this is the expectation of the people of the world.  Well, the American people are certainly a great people, but so are the Chinese people.  So have the Chinese people not suffered enough in the past from the foreign countries?  Well, at times I have not been sure since China started being encircled by the foreign countries.

Well, as long as China’s system is right with the wisdom of the Chinese people, there is no way to strangle China.  Our history will show that one can only cause damages to himself if he wants to strangle or suppress the Chinese people.

While the United States has talked about its cooperation to land on some other planet with the European side, well, China would welcome it if there is a will to carry out similar cooperation from the United States with us.

I’ll stop here.  Would the State Councilor wish to add?

STATE COUNCILOR WANG:  (Via interpreter) Secretary Blinken and NSA Sullivan, you mentioned that during your engagements and the visit that Mr. Secretary had just recently, the two countries you visited mentioned coercion from China.  We don’t know if this is a direct complaint coming from those countries that you visited, or is it just the United States’ own view?

Well, I think for those relationships, it brings in China’s relationship with the United States, with Japan, and with Australia.  I don’t think we could know from all being together because for all of those instances, they each have their own set of issues and different positions are involved.  So to accuse China of coercion even before sharing the relevant views with China, is this the right act to do?  Of course not.

If the United States would indiscriminately protest and speak up for those countries just because they are your allies or partners, we believe for the long term (inaudible), then it will be very difficult for international relations to develop properly.  So we don’t think one should be so testy as to accuse some other country of coercion.  Who is coercing whom?  I think history and the international community will come to their own conclusions.

But if the United States is interested in having those discussions with China, then we are ready to have those discussions with the U.S. side, but based on mutual respect so that we can increase our mutual understanding on those issues.

---------------

중국 외교부 발표

Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi Hold China-U.S. High-level Strategic Dialogue with Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan

2021/03/20

On March 18 and 19, 2021 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Anchorage. The two sides conducted candid, in-depth, long-time and constructive communication on the domestic and foreign policies, China-U.S. relations and major international and regional issues of common concern. Both sides believe the dialogue is timely and helpful and deepens mutual understanding.

The Chinese side said, China came at the invitation of the U.S. side. On the eve of the Chinese New Year, President Xi Jinping held a successful telephone conversation with President Joe Biden and the two sides agreed to enhance communication, manage differences and expand cooperation, which is of great significance in guiding the growth of China-U.S. relations in the time to come. China's attendance to the high-level strategic dialogue at the invitation of the U.S. side in Anchorage is an important step to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state in their phone talks, and the dialogue was decided by the two presidents personally. In the past few years, due to the irrational suppression of China's legitimate rights and interests, China-U.S. relations have encountered unprecedented difficulties. This situation has damaged the interests of both nations and taken its toll on world stability and development, and should not be allowed to continue. China is ready to work with the United States to enhance strategic communication, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences and push forward bilateral relations on the track of sound and stable development, so as to create benefits for the people in both countries and promote long-lasting peace and prosperity of the world.

The Chinese delegation emphasized that it is the choice of history and the Chinese people for the CPC to govern, and that China's development cannot be achieved without the leadership of the CPC, which is a high consensus among the Chinese people and a general view of the international community. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the system that best fits China's conditions and the secret to China's development. Practice has proved that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the right path, and China will continue to march forward on that broad road. The governing status of the CPC and the security of China's socialist system should not be damaged, and that is a red line that should never be crossed. China's development goal is consistent and clear, which is to realize the two centenary goals and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation through hard work. The fundamental purpose is to ensure a better life for all Chinese people, which is the starting point of all China's policies. China will ground its efforts in the new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, foster a new development paradigm, and achieve high-quality development. No one can deprive the Chinese people of their right to pursue a better life. China always attaches importance to the protection and promotion of human rights, and gives priority to improving people's well-being and promoting well-rounded human development. The socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics is all people's democracy and consultative democracy, whose core is the people being masters of the country. China will not impose its democratic system and values on other countries, and meanwhile will resolutely defend its own political system and values and oppose any attempt to use the human rights issue as a cover to attack and smear China or interfere in China's internal affairs. The fundamental goal of China's development is to fulfill people's aspirations for a better life at home and contribute through its own development to the development and progress of all humankind. China has no intention to interfere in the political system of the United States, or to challenge or replace its status and influence. The U.S. side should have a correct view of China's political system and development path, of China's major policies and principles, and of China's influence on the world. The leadership role of the CPC and the core status of the CPC's leader result from China's arduous practice and enjoy the wholehearted support of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. This collective will is rock-solid and unshakable.

The Chinese side noted out, China firmly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, adheres to independence, peaceful development, win-win cooperation, multilateralism, equity and justice, and continuously promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and national dignity, firmly oppose other countries' meddling in China's internal affairs, and independently decide its policies and positions in line with the fundamental interests of the Chinese people as well as people around the world, and on the basis of the merits of various issues. China itself is committed to the path of peaceful development, and hopes that other countries will also pursue a path of peaceful development, and that all countries will transcend their differences in social system, civilization and religion, and achieve peaceful coexistence and common prosperity. Win-win cooperation is an important principle of China's development and a golden rule in China's external relations. China has made its development achievements in an open environment, and will promote high-quality development in the next phase with greater openness. Multilateralism is an important cornerstone of the current international system. True multilateralism should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect the basic norms governing international relations, the sovereignty of countries around the world, and the diversity of civilizations, and commit to the democracy in international relations. It should not be used as a cover to form cliques, turn back the wheel of history, incite division along ideological lines, or instigate confrontation between different groups. China is ready to work with the United States to uphold true multilateralism in multilateral mechanisms, represented by the United Nations, and provide more public goods with better quality for the international community. China consistently maintains that all countries, big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, are equal members of the international community, and that decisions should not be made by simply showing off strong muscles or waving big fists, nor should the big and the strong be allowed to bully the small and the weak. The voices of developing countries should be heard and their rights and interests protected. As the world's largest developing and developed country, China and the United States should join hands to deepen South-North cooperation, including cooperation in third-party markets for developing countries, and promote the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

China expressed, the essence of China-U.S. relations is mutual benefit rather than a zero-sum game. China and the United States are not doomed to pose a threat to each other, differences are no reason for confrontation between them, and neither side can afford the consequences of conflict and confrontation. China and the United States should trust rather than suspect each other, understand rather than blame each other, work with rather than obstruct each other, and ensure that they focus on dealing with their domestic priorities and achieving their respective development goals. The two countries can cooperate on three most pressing tasks facing the international community, namely fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling climate change and promoting world economic recovery. The two sides should also strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, eliminate interruptions to bilateral cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and make the cake of cooperation bigger, so as to deliver more benefits to the people in both countries and beyond. Meanwhile, cooperation should be two-way and mutually beneficial, and should address the concerns of both sides in a balanced way. The Chinese side has maintained a high degree of stability and continuity in its policy towards the United States, and China is committed to non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation with the United States, while firmly safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests. The two sides should follow the spirit of the Xi-Biden telephone conversation to keep communication channels open, restore normal dialogue and exchange mechanisms, carry out win-win cooperation, properly manage differences, and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. The two countries have the responsibility, ability and wisdom to find a way for major countries with different political systems to get along with each other, which will be a historic contribution by China and the United States to human civilization.

The Chinese side pointed out, in the past few years, the previous U.S. administration went against the trend of the times, and carried out highly erroneous anti-China policies, which seriously damaged both China's interests and China-U.S. relations. China had to take legitimate and necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. China urges the U.S. side to eliminate the impact of the previous administration's wrong policy towards China and avoid new problems.

The Chinese side pointed out, the Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and concerns China's core interests, and there is no room for compromise and concession. China urges the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, stop official exchanges and military contacts with and arms sales to Taiwan, and cease helping Taiwan expand its so-called "international space". The U.S. side should handle the Taiwan question in a careful and proper manner, and do not send wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces or try to cross China's bottom line, so as to prevent China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait from suffering serious damage.

The Chinese side pointed out, the electoral system in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is a local electoral system in China and its improvement is the prerogative of the central government of China, and how to design, develop and improve it is China's domestic affair. No foreign government, organization or individual has the right to interfere. Improving HKSAR's electoral system must follow the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong". We urge the United States to abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, respect the decision of China's National People's Congress on improving Hong Kong's electoral system, and stop supporting "Hong Kong independence" forces. We call on the U.S. side to revoke illegal sanctions against Chinese officials and institutions, stop trying to mess up Hong Kong again, and cease obstructing China's implementation of "one country, two systems". If the United States continues to go its own way, China will make firm responses.

The Chinese side pointed out, the claim that there is genocide in China's Xinjiang is the biggest lie of the century. The Chinese side is ready to engage in exchanges with the U.S. side on the basis of mutual respect, and the door of Xinjiang is wide open to the world, but China will not accept any investigation in Xinjiang based on the presumption of guilt by those who are biased, condescending or behaving like a preacher. China hopes that the U.S. side can respect facts, call off attacks against and smearing of China's Xinjiang policy, and abandon double standards on counter terrorism.

The Chinese side pointed out, the 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile who has long been engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the guise of religion. China hopes that the U.S. side will abide by its commitment to recognizing Tibet as part of China and refraining from supporting "Tibet independence", carefully and properly handle Tibet-related issues, revoke sanctions against relevant Chinese officials, and cease exploiting Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.

The two sides agreed to follow the spirit of the Xi-Biden telephone conversation on February 11, 2021 to maintain dialogue and communication, conduct mutually beneficial cooperation, avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment, forestall conflict and confrontation, and promote sound and steady development of China-U.S. relations.

Both sides expressed the hope to continue such type of high-level strategic communication.

Both sides are committed to enhancing dialogue and cooperation in the field of climate change, and they agreed to establish a joint working group on climate change.

The United States reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy on the Taiwan question.

The two sides discussed making reciprocal arrangements for the COVID-19 vaccination of each side's diplomats and consular officials.

They agreed to hold talks on facilitating activities of each other's diplomatic and consular missions and personnel, as well as on issues related to media reporters, in the spirit of reciprocity and mutual benefit.

The two sides also discussed adjusting relevant travel and visa policies according to the pandemic situation, and gradually normalizing personnel exchanges between China and the United States.

They also exchanged views on a series of other topics, including economy and trade, military, law enforcement, culture, health, cyber security, climate change, the Iranian nuclear issue, Afghanistan, the Korean Peninsula and Myanmar, and agreed to maintain and enhance communication and coordination.

The two sides will step up coordination and consultation on activities within such multilateral frameworks as the Group of 20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.