FM Wang makes China's position clear in discussion with US official

In a stern warning to Washington's recent attacks on a slew of key issues, Beijing has drawn lines for managing bilateral divergence and keeping ties from spiraling out of control in a meeting with visiting US diplomats.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Washington not to cross the line in three areas - China's system, development and sovereignty - when meeting with United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Tianjin on Monday afternoon.

In particular, Wang said Beijing advises Washington to "abide by its commitments on the Taiwan question and must act with great discretion".

If "Taiwan independence" forces dare to provoke, China "has the right to take any necessary means" to stop them, he said.

Sherman said the US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and she reiterated the US adheres to the one-China policy and does not support Taiwan's "independence".

Sherman was in Tianjin for an extensive official talk lasting over four hours with Vice-Foreign Minister Xie Feng on Monday morning to advance the exchange of ideas.

Before her arrival, the ties had been further strained by Washington's attacks on topics including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang and COVID-19 origin tracing.

When explaining to Sherman the lines China draws for the US, Wang said the US "must not attempt to challenge, discredit or overthrow the path and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics".

The US must not seek to obstruct or break China's development process, and it must not infringe upon China's national sovereignty, let alone undermine China's territorial integrity, Wang added.

China also enjoys the right to realize its modernization, which is not the exclusive right of the US, Wang said.

He urged Washington to revoke all unilateral sanctions, levied tariffs, long-arm jurisdiction and scientific and technological blockades it has imposed on China as soon as possible.

No country will allow its national sovereignty and security to be compromised, Wang said, noting issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong have nothing to do with human rights or democracy but separatism.

Washington is expected to "break away from pride and prejudice", stop lecturing and return to a reasonable policy approach toward China, Wang said.

He also noted Sherman's visit to China is a part of China-US contact and dialogue, and the two sides should embark on unimpeded dialogue to enhance mutual understanding, eliminate misunderstandings, prevent miscalculation and better manage differences.

Sherman said Washington also hopes the two countries will coexist peacefully.

The US has no intention of curbing China's development, nor does it want to contain China, and it is good to see China achieve development, she said.

The two sides can carry out benign competition, cooperate in dealing with climate change, drug control and international hotspot issues, enhance their ability of crisis management and control and avoid conflicts, she added.

US 'rules' questioned

During her China stay, Sherman once again mentioned the concept of "rule-based international order" that has been frequently touted by US diplomats.

Wang debunked the concept to her face, saying "the US should be the country engaging in serious reflection in terms of abiding by international rules".

The high tariffs imposed by the US on China is a complete violation of WTO rules, and the miscellaneous unilateral sanctions imposed on China have neither been based on international law nor authorized by the United Nations Security Council, which is also a violation of international rules, Wang said.

He questioned the US' attempt to impose some "rules" upon China when what the US called "rules" are actually rules made by just a few countries, including the US itself.