Relations between China and the U.S. are of great significance not only to both countries, but also to the world, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Monday.

He made the remarks when meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns in Beijing.

Noting the consensus reached by the top leaders of China and the U.S. last November, Qin said that the hard-won positive development momentum between the two sides was destroyed by erroneous words and actions of the U.S.

As the agreed negotiations and cooperation agenda have been disrupted, it is imperative to stabilize China-U.S. relations and avoid a downward spiral and prevent accidents between the two countries, Qin said.

Expressing the principle of "mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," Qin pointed out that China hopes that the U.S. side will move in the same direction with China to push China-U.S. relations out of the predicament and back on the right track.

The U.S. side should correct its perception of China, return to rationality, and achieve mutual success in the better development of each country, Qin said, adding that the U.S. should not talk about communication on the one hand, while constantly "suppressing and containing" China on the other.

Noting that the U.S. must respect China's bottom line, stop harming China's sovereignty, security and development interests, Qin reiterated that the U.S. should properly handle the Taiwan issue and stop continuing to "hollow out the one-China principle."

"We should push negotiations and talks on the back of mutual respect and equal benefit," he said, hoping that Ambassador Burns will make constructive efforts in China by having more contacts and more communication and being a bridge between China and the United States. 

(Cover photo: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns on May 8, 2023 in Beijing./ China's Foreign Ministry)