US, China should avoid 'Cold War mentality', cooperate for world peace: Chinese ambassador

The United States and China must say a ‘categorical no’ to the Cold War mentality, to drawing ideological lines, and to bloc rivalry, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said on Saturday, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. At a virtual dialogue with board members of the Brookings Institution, Gang said, that the two countries must show vision and determination to end the Cold War approach that was relevant 30 years ago.

“We must follow the trend of the times, bear in mind the common aspirations of the people, and work for an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world with lasting peace, common security, and shared prosperity," Xinhua quoted the ambassador saying.

Gang added, that the two countries must enhance their communication and mutual cooperation, and must focus on running their domestic affairs well and, at the same time, shoulder international responsibilities together and work in mutual cooperation to advance the noble cause of world peace and development. 

'World should not be divided by another Berlin Wall': Ambassador Qin Gang

Highlighting the importance of multilateralism and safeguarding a fair and reasonable international order, the Chinese ambassador said, "The world should not be divided by another Berlin Wall,” and further noted that "putting together small groups targeted at third parties is reversing the wheels of history.”

The Chinese diplomat asserted that in the 21st century, countries like the China and US must share values of mankind such as global peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, and not have an ego about their own values. Gang also pointed out that it is, in fact, undemocratic to host a leaders’ Summit for Democracy then hurl ideological labels and not respect and acknowledge other countries' development paths. 

“Such actions have also increased global economic risks. The world should not be disrupted by 'decoupling' and the threat of 'cutting off supplies," Gang said, adding that China and the United States must cooperate on urgent global issues such as climate change, Xinhua reported.

US fostering a new Cold War dynamic: Xinping 

Earlier on November 20, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell made similar remarks at the US Peace Institute forum. He said that while the US President Joe Biden has clarified that Washington intends to avoid Cold War-style stance and escalation with China, Chinese President Xi Jinping thinks from a Chinese perspective, that the US has been fostering a new Cold War dynamic by strengthening ties with Indo-Pacific allies and represent, what Xi would describe, a “Cold War thinking.”

Campbell also stated that the defense alliance between the US, Australia, and the UK that opened the door to sharing sensitive defense technologies has caused “a heartburn” for China.