Wang Yi urges U.S. to work with China on issue of mutual perception

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Wednesday urged the United States to work with China in addressing the root cause of bilateral tensions – mutual perception – so as to lay a solid foundation for a stable and constructive relationship between the two major powers.

Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during his meeting with Graham Allison, a professor at Harvard University in Beijing.

Only by correctly fastening the "first button" of China-U.S. relations can the two major powers pave the way to a sound and stable partnership based on these principles, Wang said.

Wang expressed appreciation for Allison's longstanding efforts to enhance mutual understanding between China and the United States and to explore ways for the two major powers to coexist peacefully.

He emphasized that the Chinese philosophy of "harmony without uniformity" reflects an Eastern tradition of embracing diversity while seeking common ground. This contrasts sharply with the Western tendency toward zero-sum thinking that often assumes one side's gain must come at the other's expense, the top Chinese diplomat pointed out.

The Chinese concept, Wang said, provides a foundation for building shared interests and fostering peaceful coexistence among nations, including between China and the U.S.

In the current era, China and the United States must develop a new narrative that can guide their future interactions and define a constructive framework for engagement between two major powers, Wang added.

He reiterated that Chinese President Xi Jinping's three principles – mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation – serve as China's fundamental approach in handling its relations with the United States.

Wang encouraged thoughtful individuals from all walks of American society to contribute to fostering a more objective and constructive understanding of China.

Their efforts, he said, can play a positive role in building a more rational and forward-looking dynamic between the two countries.

Professor Allison, in turn, remarked that the Chinese concept of "harmony without uniformity" shares similarities with the American tradition of embracing diversity.

He emphasized that China and the United States live on the same planet, are deeply intertwined, and must seek a strategic posture of coexistence to avoid the so-called Thucydides Trap.

Allison called for the establishment of a new principle-based framework for U.S.-China relations, with mutual respect at its core, and pledged to continue supporting communication and the steady development of bilateral ties.