Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China's foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua)

At a press conference on the sidelines of the two sessions in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was asked that US President Donald Trump has returned to the White House and immediately has imposed fresh tariffs on China over fentanyl and at the same time, he wants to build a good relationship with China, how differently China will engage with the Trump administration over the next four years compared with Trump's first term. 

In response, Wang said that mutual respect is the basic principle of state-to-state interactions and an important prerequisite for China-US relations. "One should not fantasize that it can suppress China and maintain good relations with China at the same time," he said, adding that such a "two-faced" approach not only undermines the stability of bilateral relations but also fails to build mutual trust between the two sides, according to a transcript of the press conference published by Xinhua. 

On the fentanyl issue, Wang stressed that China has consistently taken a firm stance against drug trafficking and production, and is one of the countries with the strictest and most thorough anti-drug policies in the world today. As early as 2019, at the request of the US, China became the first country in the world to schedule all fentanyl-related substances as a class, he said.

The abuse of fentanyl in the US is a problem that must be confronted and resolved by the US itself. In the spirit of humanity, China has provided various forms of assistance to the US, and "the US should not return good with evil, or even impose arbitrary tariffs," which is not the behavior of a responsible major power, he said.

Wang further said that "if one's action fails, look for the reason within oneself." The US should go over what has actually happened: What has it achieved from tariffs and trade wars these years? Has its trade deficit grown or shrunk? Has the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector increased or declined? Has inflation improved or worsened? Has the quality of life for its people gotten better or worse?  

The economic and trade relationship between China and the US is mutual and reciprocal. If cooperation is chosen, both sides can achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and if pressure is applied relentlessly, China will resolutely counter, the Chinese foreign minister said.

As the world's largest developing country and largest developed country, China and the US will both continue to exist on this planet for the long term, and thus must coexist peacefully. 

As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out during the phone call with President Trump earlier this year, confrontation and conflict should not be the choice of the two countries, China and the US share extensive common interests and broad space for cooperation, and the two countries can become partners and friends, contribute to each other's success, and enjoy common prosperity, Wang noted. 

China will continue to adhere to the three principles proposed by President Xi - mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation - and work toward a stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations, Wang said. 

At the same time, it is hoped that the US will listen to the voices of the people of both nations, recognize the broader trend of historical development, view China's development objectively and rationally, engage with China in a positive and pragmatic manner, and join China in pursuing a path of engagement that benefits both countries and the world, Wang added.

Global Times