Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with former U.S. Secretary of State and Beijing-Washington diplomatic talks architect Henry Kissinger in New York. About the meeting, the Chinese press underlined that handling the Taiwan question was an ‘urgent task’ in bilateral relations.
Celebrating Kissinger’s upcoming 100th birthday, Wang Yi called him “an old and good friend of the Chinese people”, stressed that Kissinger has always been friendly.
Discussing China-U.S. relations and complaining about Washington’s failure to keep his promises, Wang Yi recalled Kissinger’s warning that China-U.S. relations were “on the brink of the Cold War” and stressed that such a war would be a disaster not only for China and the U.S., but also for the whole world.
Pointing out that the U.S. side should return to a “rational and practical Chinese policy”, Wang Yi noted that the most important priority at the moment is the proper management of the Taiwan question, otherwise it will have a subversive impact on China-U.S. relations.
The Taiwan question is at the center of relations
Kissinger recalled how he and Chinese leaders prepared Shanghai Communique in 1972 and emphasized that the Taiwan question is at the center of China-US relations.
Stressing that it is necessary to fully understand how important the Taiwan question is for China, Kissinger noted that “the U.S. and China should engage in dialogue rather than conflict and establish bilateral relations to live peacefully together”.
“One-China” principle is a prerequisite for normalization
Zhang Tengjun, deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Studies Department of the China Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times that Wang Yi’s meeting with Kissinger, a key figure behind the normalization of U.S.-China relations 50 years ago, was a clear message: “One-China principle is the basis for the normalization of bilateral relations.”
U.S. President Biden told CBS’s 60 Minutes program on Sunday that US troops would defend Taiwan in the event of a “Chinese invasion.”
The goal is to prevent the development of China
“US keeps hollowing out its one-China principle and its commitment over the Taiwan question so it can strangle China in the chip and semiconductor sector and amplify its democracy vs authoritarian narrative” Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The Biden administration banned U.S. ‘advanced tech’ firms that receive federal funding from building facilities in China for 10 years. It was announced that the decision was made to reduce the dependence of the US on China in the production of semiconductors.
Wang Yi listed five conditions
This year marks the 50th anniversary of former U.S. President Richard Nixon’s visit to China and signing of the Shanghai Communique.
“An important year to take stock of the past and move on from a new starting point,” told Wang Yi at a meeting in New York with representatives of the U.S.-China National Relations Committee, the U.S.-China Business Council, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Wang Yi said there is a lot of uncertainty in current China-U.S. relations and listed China’s five “certainties”:
*China’s development prospects are certain, and this development will provide larger markets and opportunities for the U.S. and other countries.
*China’s resolve to further advance reform and opening-up is certain and will continue to advance economic globalization.
*China’s policy toward the U.S. is certain and what is most critical for the U.S. right now is to reinstate a reasonable and pragmatic policy towards China as soon as possible.
*China’s commitment to strengthen economic and trade cooperation is certain.
*China’s readiness to engage in multilateral coordination with the U.S. is certain. For this to happen, it is vital to maintain the political basis of China-U.S. relations and to support the one-China principle specially.
Shanghai Communique
In 1972, Richard Nixon became the first U.S. President to visit China. Nixon’s visit to China and the publication of the Shanghai Communique are considered a turning point in China-U.S. relations.
The communique acknowledged that the two countries have different forms of governance. China and the U.S. agreed on the normalization of bilateral relations based on peaceful coexistence, the expansion of contacts covering all areas, and the development of bilateral trade.
Most importantly, in the joint communique signed, the U.S. acknowledged that it had adopted one-China principle and that Taiwan was an integral part of China.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan ramped up tensions in relations between the two countries.
Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan despite China’s concerns and opposition.
Beijing described the visit as an intervention in its internal affairs, a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity and stressed that the visit was a violation of the one-China principle, undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
