Wang Yi: China, U.S. must coexist peacefully on this planet

China and the United States will stay on this planet for a long time. They must therefore seek peaceful coexistence, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said mutual respect is an important prerequisite for China-U.S. relations.

The United States should not return good with evil, or even impose arbitrary tariffs, Wang said when commenting on the U.S. move to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods using the fentanyl issue as a pretext.

The abuse of fentanyl in the United States is a problem that must be confronted and resolved by the U.S. itself, he said.

One should not fantasize that it can suppress China and maintain good relations with China at the same time, Wang said.

China-U.S. business relations are based on two-way and reciprocal interactions, and cooperation will bring about mutual benefit and win-win, he pointed out, adding that China will definitely take countermeasures in response to arbitrary pressure.

New China stands firmly on the side of international justice, and resolutely opposes power politics and hegemony, Wang said. "We in China believe that friends should be permanent and we should pursue common interests."