China and US must not come into conflict, or the world will suffer, says Wang Yi at Munich Security Conference
By Zhang Han 2/15/25
Photo: Wechat account of Chinese Foreign Ministry
China maintains stability and coherence in its policy toward the US and will not easily flip-flop, demonstrating the strategic resolve and credibility expected of a major power, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Friday at the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC).
Our policy is based on the three principles proposed by President Xi Jinping: mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, Wang said in response to questions regarding China-US relations after delivering a keynote speech on "China in the World."
Wang further elaborated on the three principles, saying the different social systems of China and the US reflect the choices of their respective peoples, and it is unrealistic to seek to transform or overturn each other. Mutual respect is the premise for China-US interactions. Peaceful coexistence is also a natural course of action as China and the US must not come into conflict; otherwise, the world will suffer. Win-win cooperation is essential because the international community expects China and the US to collaborate, and global challenges require both countries to join hands. This is also an international responsibility that China and the US should shoulder.
China stands ready to build a stable, healthy, and sustainable bilateral relationship with the US based on these three principles, Wang said, adding that "We hope the US will meet China halfway. However, if the US insists on suppressing China, China will stand its ground to the end."
China will steadfastly defend its national sovereignty, dignity and legitimate rights of development. This commitment also serves to uphold international fairness and justice, and to maintain the basic norms of international relations, Wang said.
"Chinese people have never believed in superstitions and are not afraid of ghosts. The new China has developed and grown amid overcoming various difficulties and obstacles," Wang said. An old saying in China reads "As the Nature changes vigorously, a man of virtue should strive continuously to strengthen himself." Another vivid sentence goes as "Let him be strong, and the breeze caresses the hillocks; let him be peremptory, and the moon shines on the great river. This reflects the temperament of the Chinese people and the character of the Chinese nation."
Wang said that "We are confident in the future of the world, and also the future of China-US relations. There is only one direction that we should strive toward - the three principles I repeatedly mentioned, which is also the biggest expectation of international community."
Lü Xiang, an expert on US studies and research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Saturday that Wang's remarks are mainly reiteration of China's consistent basic stance on China-US relations, showing great importance China attaches to this relationship.
It remains to be seen how the new US administration's China policy will take shape and how the two countries can engage with each other, the expert said.
Wang's remarks can promote the world's understanding of China's stance in this regard, which can lay the foundation for high-level interactions in the future, Lü said.
At MSC, US Vice President JD Vance vented at European leaders Friday, telling them that the biggest threat to their security was "from within," rather than China and Russia, CNN reported.
Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that the new US administration is reshaping its relations with the world, which could be an opportunity for China and the US to explore room for cooperation.
It is hoped that China and the US, in this adjustment period, can discuss more about common interests, Li said.
Upholding the three principles, China's handling of China-US relations will seek more positive results, but that does not mean concession of its own interests, according to analysts.
In his keynote speech, Wang stressed it is important to advocate equal treatment; respect international rule of law; practice multilateralism in the face of emerging global challenges; and pursue openness and mutual benefit.
Protectionism offers no way out, and arbitrary tariffs produce no winners. Decoupling deprives one of opportunities, and a "small yard with high fences" only ends up constraining oneself. It is important to pursue open cooperation, and support an equal and orderly multipolar world with a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, Wang noted.
Wang, when meeting with Graham Allison, a professor at Harvard University, said that in face of acceleration of unprecedented transformation and international landscape with turbulence, China will first of all manage its own affairs and vigorously promote the Chinese modernization; second, it will shoulder responsibility of major power and inject more certainty into the world; third, it will join hands with like-minded countries to uphold the basic principles of international relations based on the United Nations Charter, advance the democratization of international relations, and advocate for a stable and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization.
China's US policy remains consistent and stable, and will uphold the three principles to navigate changes and developments in bilateral ties, and promote a healthy and stable relationship, Wang said.
Allison said that China's foreign policy is rational and coherent, particularly the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by President Xi, which is full of philosophical wisdom. He hopes that the US and China, as two major powers, can engage in effective cooperation and play an important role in addressing international and regional hotspot issues such as the Ukraine crisis, according to a press release from Chinese Foreign Ministry.