Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday called for regular communication between the two sides and urged the U.S. to stay committed to its one-China policy rather than saying one thing but doing quite another.

Wang made the call while meeting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Italy's capital Rome on the sidelines of the Group 20 summit.

During the meeting, Wang lodged China's opposition to the wrong foreign policies the U.S. has adopted against China, criticizing the U.S. for its "small circle" diplomacy that has imposed pressure on many small and medium-sized countries with the aim to contain China.

The move is against people's interests of both sides, against the aspiration of the international community and against the development trend of the time. China is clearly opposed to it, Wang stated.

Gain from cooperation, lose from confrontation

Given the over 40-year experience of exchanges between China and the U.S. since they established diplomatic ties and the multiple engagements between the two sides in Anchorage, Tianjin and Zurich, the Chinese foreign minister said it has been understood that the two countries must respect each other and treat each other on an equal footing.

China and the U.S. gain from cooperation, and lose from confrontation, Wang said, urging the two sides to firmly implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries to restart dialogue and avoid confrontation so as to create political condition for exchanges of the next stage.

Wang reaffirmed that he is willing to establish regular communication with Blinken, and he called on the two sides to exchange views on how to manage differences and properly handle problems in a timely and candid manner so as to dispel misgivings, avoid misjudgment and explore possibility of cooperation.

There is only one China

Viewing the Taiwan question as the most sensitive issue between China and the U.S., the Chinese foreign minister rejected the U.S. claim of China "changing the status quo," saying it is seriously misleading the international community.

The real situation of the Taiwan question is that, there is only one China and Taiwan is a part of China, Wang reiterated, warning that the mishandling of the issue will cause a huge disruptive and overall effect on the bilateral relations.

According to Wang, the past experiences have proved that any decision to change the current situation will seriously damage regional stability and even cause crises in the region.

Regarding the crux of the recent situation, Wang said it is a result of the Taiwan authority's attempt to breach the one-China principle as well as the U.S. support for "Taiwan independence" forces.

To stop the development of "Taiwan independence" forces helps maintain the peace in the region, Wang stated, urging the U.S. side to realize the severe damage of the "Taiwan independence" and stay committed to the real one-China policy as well as all promises it has made to China.

The Chinese foreign minister urged the U.S. side to implement the one-China policy with concrete actions instead of saying one thing but doing quite another. 

Wang also lodged China's serious concern over U.S. actions that harm China's legitimate interests while urging the U.S. side to correct its wrongdoing and strive to push the bilateral relations back on the right track.

Blinken, for his part, reiterated the U.S. commitment to the one-China policy. He agreed that the two countries should maintain regular communication to manage differences and avoid confrontation in a responsible manner.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues such as climate change, energy supplies, the Iranian nuclear issue, the Korean Peninsula situation, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, among others. They agreed to maintain communication to tackle global challenges with joint efforts.

(Cover: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Rome, Italy, October 31, 2021. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)