'Fight hurts both countries': Chinese ambassador urges for stable relations with US

As tensions between the US and China continue to rise, Beijing's new envoy to Washington has once again urged for 'new ways to get along’, stating that any war between the two countries can only be harmful to both countries. "The current Sino-US relationship is still in a very challenging phase that necessitates a lot of effort and work," the Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said in an interview on September 30 that aired on China Global Television Network (CGTN) on October 2. Qin stated that his main goal as an ambassador between them is to shorten this exploring process as quickly as feasible, making it less intense, less startling, and more smooth and predictable. According to the Chinese ambassador, President Xi Jinping of China has emphasised that getting the relationship back on track is not optional, but something both countries must do properly.

"In the last two months, I've met a lot of individuals from various walks of life in the United States, and I've had the strong impression that there are still a lot of people in the US who favour the growth of China-US relations. They also believe that the two countries' interactions and cooperation should be strengthened. Many people, particularly in the business community, education, civil society, and some states, were vocal in their opposition to decoupling and confrontation between China and the United States. They are hoping for a quick improvement in bilateral relations," Qin told CGTN, Sputnik reported.

Qin has previously encouraged the US to avoid antagonising China, stating last month that the US should cease treating China the same way it treated the Soviet Union, calling the march toward a new cold war a 'misjudgement.'

US-China relations

In 2017 and 2018, the United States entered a new phase in its strategic thinking, shifting away from the War on Terror and toward 'great power competition' with Russia and China - particularly China, which they viewed as the greatest threat to the future of US global dominance. While the US has accused China of attempting to destabilise the postwar global order, which it refers to as the "rules-based international order," the Chinese government has maintained that its goal is to join the ranks of other developed nations by expanding its economy and asserting itself on the global stage, rather than to become the new global hegemon.

The United States recently inked AUKUS, a new military deal with Australia and the United Kingdom that does not specifically mention China but is widely perceived as intended to limit suspected Chinese expansionism. Similarly, the US has sought to establish new facilities in the region and sell military weaponry to regional nations to convert them into US allies.

Image: AP