​China, U.S. stand to gain from cooperation, lose from confrontation: FM

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a press conference on China's foreign policy and relations on the sidelines of the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2019.[Photo: Xinhua]

China's foreign minister said he has a positive outlook on relations between China and the United States, and has stressed that cooperation outweighs frictions in ties between the two countries.

At a press conference on the sidelines of the Two Sessions in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the United States to work with China on deepening cooperation and finding common ground between the two sides.

"Exaggerating our competition out of all proportion would squeeze out space for cooperation. The right approach is to focus on expanding our cooperation. This is in our mutual interest, and it's what we owe to the world. We hope the United States will abandon its zero-sum approach, pursue shared goals with China, foster healthy competition while deepening our cooperation, and strive for win-win outcomes, as we seek our own country's development."

The foreign minister said that substantial progress had been made in the ongoing trade and economic negotiations between China and the United States, and he stressed that the interests of the two countries are inseparable.

"The interests of China and the United States are already highly integrated. Bilateral trade surpassed 630 billion U.S. dollars last year and cumulative bilateral investment exceeded 240 billion dollars, while more than five million trips were made between the two countries in 2018. Almost all the major American corporations do business in China. Some individuals have vowed to decouple China and the United States. This is just their own wishful thinking. Decoupling from China would mean decoupling from opportunities, from the future, and in a sense, even from the world."

During the press conference, Wang Yi announced that President Xi Jinping would be attending the opening of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in late April in Beijing. He also spoke about the expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative and the benefits that it brings to the participating countries.

"To date, 123 countries and 29 international organizations have signed Belt and Road agreements with China. They have cast a vote in support and confidence in the Belt and Road Initiative. The Initiative is by no means a 'debt trap,' rather it is an 'economic pie' that benefits local populations. It is not a geopolitical tool, but a great opportunity for shared development. Signing up to the Belt and Road has enabled these countries to grow at faster rate, improve the lives of their people, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes."

The minister said that this year's forum will be a much bigger event, with thousands of delegates from over 100 countries expected to attend.