Wang Yi on China-US tech war: 'Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday said that science and technology should not be used to put up an "iron curtain" but should be the wealth that benefits all and is shared by all.

Wang said that "high fences and small yards" – referring to the US strategy to restrict China's access to key technologies – cannot stifle the spirit of innovation, responding to a CGTN reporter's question on China-US technology relations at the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress.

He warned that decoupling and supply chain disruptions would only lead to self-isolation.

"Unjustified external suppression" against China, be it in space science or chip making, has never stopped, Wang said, adding that despite the challenges, China's path to becoming a science and technology powerhouse is ever-expanding.

"Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough; where there is suppression, there is innovation; where there is the fiercest storm, there is the platform launching China's science and technology skyward like the Chinese mythological hero Ne Zha soaring into the heavens," said Wang.

In 2024, China made new achievements in integrated circuits, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology and other areas, according to the 2025 government work report. The Chang'e-6 mission completed humanity's first-ever sample collection from the far side of the moon, and the Mengxiang ocean drilling vessel was delivered and commissioned. The value of technology contract transactions increased by 11.2 percent.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that generations of Chinese people have never stopped in their endeavor for innovation. 

Meanwhile, Wang said that mutual respect is a fundamental norm governing state-to-state relations and also a key prerequisite for stable China-US bilateral ties. 

He cautioned that no country should "fantasize" that it can suppress China while maintaining good relations with it. Such contradictory behavior undermines mutual trust and damages long-term stability, said Wang.