On January 1, 2019, China and the U.S. will mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.

Ahead of this occasion, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke about his expectations on resolving ongoing trade tensions and building future relations with the U.S. in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV).

Washington initiated the China-U.S. trade dispute, and this unilateral action neither meets the interests of the two sides, nor follows the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, Wang said.

"China has to make necessary and legal responses to safeguard its interests, national dignity and right of development."

The Chinese official stressed that the two sides should find solutions through dialogue and negotiations, in the spirit of seriousness, equality and integrity.

Wang quoted Confucius who once said "at the age of 40, one has no doubts about the world."

"Forty years of China-U.S. ties tell us one thing, that cooperation benefits both countries while confrontations can hurt both. We hope the U.S. could see China's progress in a positive way and does not create a new enemy," he added.

Earlier this week, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce confirmed that Beijing and Washington will come back to the negotiating table to discuss trade issues early next year.