China: US must stop ‘misguided actions’

BEIJING: China’s chief diplomat told his US counterpart that Washington must stop its “misguided actions” in a tense exchange, days after a blistering US denunciation of the Asian power’s global and domestic policies.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted the schism after the chief US diplomat arrived in Beijing on the final leg of an Asian trip focused on North Korea’s nuclear issue.

Meeting at the Diaoyutai Guest House, Wang told Pompeo that the United States has “stepped up rhetoric over trade tensions” after a raft of tit-for-tat tariffs on billion of dollars in US and Chinese goods.

He also accused the United States of making “a series of moves” on Taiwan – a self-ruling democratic island that Beijing considers a rebel province – and “other issues” that hurt Chinese sovereignty.

“These actions have affected the mutual trust between both sides, and has cast a shadow over the prospect of China-US relations, which completely go against the interest of our two peoples,” Wang said.

“We require that the US stop such misguided actions,” he said, adding that the two countries should pursue cooperation “and not descend into conflict and confrontation”.

Wang and Pompeo met after US Vice-President Mike Pence delivered a searing speech on Thursday accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft and human

rights violations as he cast the Communist regime as a villain bent on interfering in the US elections.

The United States has also angered with arms sales to Taiwan and new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to the island,

though Washington still recognises Beijing over Taipei.

Responding to Wang’s remarks, Pompeo said he wanted to come to Beijing to “have discussions”.

“The issues that you characterised, we have fundamental disa- greements,” Pompeo told Wang.

“We have great concerns over the actions that China has taken and I look forward to having the opportunity to discuss each of those today because this is an incredibly important relationship.” —

— AFP Meeting of minds: Wang (right row, fourth from top) discussing with Pompeo (left row, third from top) during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.