Chinese diplomat and former ambassador to the United States, Yang Jiechi, has urged the Chinese to restore relations with the United States, while warning against interference in Chinese affairs.
In a speech at an online forum organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Jiechi called for pushing U.S.-China relations onto what he described as a constructive path, emphasizing that the two countries can work together to improve global issues. At the same time, Jiechi warned that interference in the internal affairs of his country is a red line. Jiechi, who serves as the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee and is a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, is the highest-ranking Chinese official to address relations with Washington since Joe Biden entered the White House.
According to Al Jazeera, this Chinese call comes to mend relations between the two countries after four years of the presidency of Donald Trump, who pursued a policy of pressure and sanctions against China. The report noted that China aims to show good faith to the new U.S. administration to establish relations based on integrity and cooperation rather than competition and hostility.
The Chinese call also included a warning against interference in Chinese affairs, referencing issues that have strained relations between the U.S. and China, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Xinjiang region, where Beijing is accused of human rights violations against the Muslim minority. U.S.-China relations have seen tensions during the previous Trump administration, with China accused of committing genocide in its repression of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups.
