Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, calling for efforts to reverse the downward spiral of China-U.S. ties.  

Wang said Blinken's trip to Beijing comes at a critical point in bilateral relations, where a choice needs to be made between dialogue or confrontation, cooperation or conflict. 

Noting that time always moves forward and so do China-U.S. ties, Wang said turning back the wheel of history has no future, still less should bilateral ties be dismantled and rebuilt all over again. 

"We must take a responsible attitude toward the people, history and the world, reverse the downward spiral of China-U.S. relations," he said, calling on the two sides to return bilateral ties to the healthy and stable track and jointly find the right way for China and the U.S. to get along in the new era. 

Root cause

The senior Chinese diplomat admitted that China-U.S. ties are at a low point while pointing out that the U.S.'s wrong perception of China is the root cause of the current situation.

"China-U.S. relations have gone through ups and downs, and it is necessary for the U.S. side to reflect deeply and work with the Chinese side to manage differences and avoid strategic surprises," said Wang.

To stabilize the relationship and prevent its deterioration, Wang believes the immediate priority is to put the consensus between the two heads of state into practice.

He added that the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping should be followed as the fundamental guidance.

Wang expounded on the historical logic and inevitable trend of China's development and revitalization and introduced the distinctive features of Chinese modernization and the rich connotation of China's whole-process people's democracy.

He reiterated that China will never follow the beaten track of big powers in seeking hegemony, urging the U.S. side not to misjudge China with the trajectory taken by the traditional Western powers.

"This is the key to whether U.S. policy toward China can truly return to objectivity and rationality," Wang added.

No suppression against China

During the talks, Wang asked the U.S. to stop hyping up the "China threat" theory, lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, abandon its suppression of China's scientific and technological development and refrain from arbitrarily interfering in China's internal affairs.

Regarding the Taiwan question, Wang told Blinken that maintaining national unity will always be the core interests of China, the crux upon which the well-being of the Chinese nation depends and the historic mission and the unshakable commitment of the CPC.

There is no room for compromise or concessions over the Taiwan question, he warned.

Wang also urged the U.S. side to truly adhere to the one-China principle set forth in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose "Taiwan independence."

Presenting the views of the U.S. side to Wang, Blinken noted that the U.S. side is committed to returning to the agenda set by the two heads of state at their meeting in Bali and looks forward to strengthening communication with the Chinese side, managing differences responsibly and cooperating in areas of mutual interest.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

(CGTN's Dong Xue contributed to the story.)