Chinese FM urges preparations, right conditions for high-level China-US exchanges

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China and the United States need to make thorough preparations for their high-level exchanges, foster the right conditions, manage differences and remove unnecessary disruptions.

Wang made the remarks on Sunday at a news conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Answering a question on China-US relations ahead of a reported visit to China by US President Donald Trump, Wang said this year is indeed a significant one for bilateral relations, with the agenda for high-level interactions already on the table.

Wang said China-US relations affect all parties and have a bearing on the world at large.

If the two countries fail to engage, it will only lead to misunderstanding and miscalculation; if they descend into conflict and confrontation, the rest of the world will suffer even more, he added.

"Neither China nor the US can remodel the other, but we can choose how we want to engage. That means committing to a spirit of mutual respect, holding the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and striving for the prospect of win-win cooperation," Wang said.

Wang noted that the presidents of the two countries have provided important strategic safeguard for the China-US relationship to improve and move forward, helping bring the relationship back onto an even keel after periods of ups and downs.

"When the two sides treat each other with sincerity and good faith, we will be able to lengthen the list of cooperation, shorten the list of problems, produce results that are satisfactory to both peoples, and achieve consensus that is welcomed by the whole world," Wang said.