Beijing hopes new US security strategy will promote ‘mutual trust’
China hopes US national security strategy will promote strategic mutual trust between the two countries, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday, ahead of a major speech on security by US President Donald Trump.
Trump will lay out a new US national security strategy on Monday based on his “America First” policy and will make clear that China is a competitor, two senior US officials were quoted by Reuters as saying on Saturday.
Hua said given the significance of the United States, and that it is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China hopes that its national security strategy can play a constructive role in promoting world peace and stability.
“We hope it can also contribute to enhancing the strategic mutual trust between China and the US,” she said at a daily news conference in Beijing. The spokeswoman also said that China has paved its own way to achieve development as well as bringing benefits to the whole world after three decades of reform and opening-up, and “the essence of the China-US trade and economic relationship is mutually beneficial and win-win”.
In 2016, bilateral trade between the two exceeded $550 billion and two-way investment was over $200 billion, directly and indirectly supporting 2.6 million US jobs.
In 2015, the profits of US enterprises that invested in China reached $36.2 billion.
China will continue to implement the policy of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, which will further balance and promote the bilateral trade ties, as well as boosting economic cooperation, Hua said.
“China is willing to work with the US to build a robust, stable and healthy trade and economic relationship,” she said, “and we believe this conforms to the interests of both countries and their people, as well as global expectations.”
Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said Washington should consider Beijing trade ties in a broader, more responsible way, as they have benefited both sides.