May 24, 2020
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said on Sunday that China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and would lose from confrontation, adding both sides must find a way for peaceful co-existence.
Relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, with the administrations of President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping repeatedly trading barbs over issues related to the pandemic. They have also clashed over Hong Kong, human rights, trade and U.S. support for Chinese-claimed Taiwan.
State Councillor Wang, speaking at his annual news conference, said China and the United States need to start coordinating macro policies for their respective economies as well as the world economy.
The United States should stop wasting precious time, said Wang, who is also China’s foreign minister.
China remains prepared to work with the United States in the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, he told reporters.
(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Stephen Coates and Lincoln Feast.)
