Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi: China Won't Be Turned Into Another U.S. – Rather, The U.S. Needs To Make Itself Into A Better Country

In a January 2, 2021 interview, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group about Sino-U.S. relations, accusing the U.S. of trying to contain China and of attempting to start a new Cold War. However, Wang Yi stressed that such U.S. policies vis-à-vis China are doomed to failure.

Adding added that the U.S. is concerned about China's "rapid development," Wang Yi urged Washington to focus on "self-improvement," rather than on attempting to block others from developing. Wang assessed that as China becomes a major player on the world stage, it will not attempt to turn into another U.S., and suggested that it is the U.S. that needs to make itself a better country.

It is worth noting that on January 7, 2021, the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), stated that the "end of history" predicted by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama had not materialized, and that Western democracy is in decline. The commentary went on to state that while "the general trend of 'the East is rising and the West is falling'" is becoming more prominent, the U.S. and Western aspiration to dominate the global stage is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.[1]

Below are excerpts of Wang Yi's interview:[2]

Wang Yi (Source: Reuters)

The U.S. "Should Also Respect The Social System And Development Path Chosen By China"

"In recent years, China-U.S. relations have run into unprecedented difficulties. The fundamental reason lies in the fact that U.S. policymakers have developed some serious misconceptions about China, considering China as the so-called biggest threat and adopting a completely wrongheaded China policy. What has happened proves that the U.S. attempt to suppress and contain China and to start a new Cold War has not only seriously harmed the interests of the two peoples, but also has jeopardized the world. Such a China policy is bound to find no support and is doomed to fail.

"Currently, China-U.S. relations have come to a new crossroads and it is anticipated that a new window of hope is opening. We hope that the new U.S. administration will take up a rational approach and resume dialogue with China, with the goal of restoring bilateral relations and renewing cooperation.

"From China's point of view, our policy toward the United States maintains its consistency and stability. We are willing to develop a relationship based on coordination, cooperation and stability with the U.S. China never meddles in the internal affairs of the United States, and values peaceful co-existence and mutually beneficial cooperation. Likewise, the United States should also respect the social system and development path chosen by China, and should respect the Chinese people's legitimate right to pursue a better life.

"We know that some in the U.S. are uneasy and anxious about China's rapid development, but the best way to sustain one's lead is through constant self-improvement, not by blocking others' development. The future world should not and will not be able to turn China into another United States. Rather, the United States needs to try to make itself a better country, just as China will surely become its better self. We believe that as long as the U.S. can draw lessons from the past in a timely manner and work with China towards the same direction, the two countries are capable of resolving differences through dialogue and by expanding mutual interests through cooperation. This will make it possible to establish a model of coexistence by the two world powers that benefits both countries and the world as well, and to open up new development prospects in line with the direction of the advancement of history."