Top diplomat: Cooperation only correct choice for China, US

China urged the United States to respect Beijing's positions on key issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, asking Washington to stop interference of any form in such issues and work to build a stable and cooperative bilateral relationship.

China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi made the remarks when meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday and Wednesday in Hawaii. It was the first high-level face-to-face meeting between the two countries this year.

Yang is a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs.

After an in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations and regional and international issues of common concern, the two sides agreed on taking action to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries and to maintain communication, according to a news release from the Foreign Ministry.

Both sides have articulated their respective positions and believed that the dialogue was constructive, it said.

According to the ministry, Yang told Pompeo that cooperation was the only correct choice for China and the US, as both sides benefit from cooperation and suffer from confrontation.

China is committed to working with the US to develop a relationship featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, while firmly safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, he said, adding that China hoped that the US will work with China to bring bilateral relations back to the track of coordination, cooperation and stability.

On issues regarding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Yang said Hong Kong affairs, including establishing the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, are purely China's domestic affair and China was resolutely determined to advance the national security legislation for Hong Kong.

China urged the US to respect China's sovereignty, observe the legislation in an objective and fair manner, and stop meddling in Hong Kong's internal affairs in any form, Yang said.

The top diplomat told Pompeo that China strongly criticized the signing into law of the "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020" in the US on Wednesday, urging the US to respect China's counterterrorism and de-radicalization efforts, stop applying double standards on counterterrorism issues, and stop using issues related to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region as a pretext to interfere in China's internal affairs.

On the Taiwan question, Yang stressed that the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US relations, and said China is resolutely determined to safeguard its core interests.

China demanded that the US earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three joint communiques and handle Taiwan-related matters in a prudent and proper way, Yang said.

During their meeting, Yang also said China's prevention and control efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic are open, transparent, fast and efficient.

As the virus continues to spread, he called on the US to strengthen cooperation with China in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, support the World Health Organization's leading role, provide assistance for developing countries' anti-epidemic efforts and contribute to global cooperation on public health security.

Li Haidong, a professor of US studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said that at a time when China-US relations are experiencing turbulence and uncertainty, the high-level meeting will help to discuss some feasible measures to take bilateral ties in a constructive direction and avoid further possible losses caused by misjudgments in decision-making.

"However it is still impossible to expect that the major differences between the two countries will be resolved through just one single meeting," Li said.