CGTN America
FILE – In this Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump waves next to Chinese President Xi Jinping after attending a joint press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China’s main official news agency is warning U.S.-Chinese relations will face “more pressure and challenges” following President Donald Trump’s decision to label Beijing a rival. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
Cooperation is the only choice. That’s how China is responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy. Trump outlined a plan on Monday to handle what he deemed “economic aggression” by China and Russia.
CGTN’s Gary Anglebrandt reports.
“Competitor” and “rival power” – the words the Trump administration used to describe China in its newly released National Security Strategy. The document calls China a threat that is undermining U.S. national interest on all fronts.
In response, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said any country that distorts the facts or maliciously slanders does so in vain.
“We urged the U.S. side to stop intentionally distorting China’s strategic intentions, to abandon outdated notions such as a Cold War mentality and zero-sum game. Otherwise, it will only harm the interests of both countries,” spokesperson Hua Chunying said. “We hope the U.S. can keep up with the trends of the times, see China-U.S. relations in an objective and rational way, and abide by the related commitments.”
The National Security Strategy is seen as a vision of how the U.S. president’s “America First” agenda fits into his foreign policy goals.
This tougher stance on China comes just a month after Trump’s visit to Beijing, where he toned down his rhetoric. He has now singled out Russia and China as “revisionist powers,” and said the U.S. national interest will always come first when building relationships.
“We also face rival powers, Russia and China, that seek to challenge American influence, values and wealth,” Trump told the nation. “We will attempt to build a great partnership with those and other countries, but in a manner that always protects our national interest.”
The Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington also commented, describing the U.S. position as contradictory. According to the official, China will always remain committed to world peace, global development and international order.
The spokesperson added that how China and the U.S. see each other and define their bilateral relations is relevant to the welfare of the two peoples and the international community.
