China denies overcapacity and clarifies its position on the South China Sea in talks with Blinken

China refutes US false narrative.

China’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that negotiations with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to China were “sincere, substantive and constructive.”

During a courtesy meeting with Blinken on Friday afternoon, Chinese President Xi Jinping elaborated on China’s authoritative position on China-U.S. relations and proposed guidelines, said Yang Tao, director-general of the Department of North American and American Affairs. Oceanians of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. while briefing the media on Blinken’s visit on Friday night.

Yang said the Chinese side refuted the so-called “excess capacity” narrative in China claimed by the US, calling it another example of US protectionism and suppression of China’s development. He also stressed that the recent escalation of the situation in the South China Sea is inseparable from the US intervention.

Xi highlighted that China and the US should be partners and not rivals; help each other succeed instead of hurting each other; seek common ground and reserve differences rather than engage in fierce competition; and honoring words with actions, rather than saying one thing but doing another, Yang said.

Xi also emphasized that China is not afraid of competition, but competition should be about progressing together rather than playing a zero-sum game. China is committed to non-alliance and the US should not create small blocs, Yang said.

During talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which lasted five and a half hours, Chinese and US officials exchanged in-depth views on China-US relations and international and regional affairs. Wang clarified China’s position on key issues surrounding China’s main concerns, such as strategic perception, the Taiwan issue, economic and technological issues, the South China Sea and the US “Indo-Pacific Strategy”. , Yang told a group of reporters.

On Friday, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong also met with Blinken, exchanging views on anti-drug law enforcement cooperation between China and the US. Chen Jining, secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, met with Blinken on Thursday in Shanghai.

Strategic perception, namely whether China and the US are partners or adversaries, is the fundamental issue of China-US relations and is also a topic discussed by both sides on all occasions, including this one, Yang said.

The logic of great power rivalry and the zero-sum thinking of the Cold War are not in China’s DNA, nor are they in China’s mode of behavior. China welcomes the confident, open and prosperous US, and hopes that the US side can also view China’s development positively.

And the Taiwan issue is the “first red line” that should not be crossed in China-US relations, Yang said. China firmly opposes the US series of wrong words and actions on this issue.

China emphasizes that if the US truly hopes for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, it must faithfully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, refrain from sending wrong signals to the separatist forces of “independence of Taiwan” in any form, stop arming Taiwan and support the peaceful reunification of China.

Regarding the economic and trade issue, China clearly demands that the US stop touting so-called “excess capacity” in the false Chinese narrative, lift illegal sanctions against Chinese companies, and stop imposing 301 tariffs that violate WTO rules. .

On the South China Sea issue, Yang said China has sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, including Ren’ai Jiao (Ren’ai Reef), with full historical and legal basis. China has always respected international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and no country can attempt to challenge China’s legitimate rights and interests through illegal arbitration.

The reasons for the current situation in Ren’ai Jiao are clear. The Philippines first violated its commitments by refusing to tow the illegally stranded warship for 25 years, and then repeatedly violated the “gentleman’s agreement” and the internal understanding reached with China, deliberately infringed and provoked, and attempted to carry out large-scale repairs and reinforcements. to achieve permanent occupation of Ren’ai Jiao.

The Philippines’ actions seriously violate Article 5 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea reached between China and ASEAN countries, Yang said.

And the recent escalation of the situation in the South China Sea is inseparable from US intervention. The US frequently threatens the “US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” which gravely violates the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and seriously undermines regional peace and stability. If the US wants to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, it must stop fanning the flames and inciting confrontation, the Chinese diplomat said.

Regarding the so-called “excess capacity” in China, Yang said that China’s advantages in areas such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products are not the result of subsidies from the Chinese government, but the result of market demand global, technology innovation and full competition.

The so-called “excess capacity” claimed by the US is not a conclusion according to market definitions, but an artificially created false narrative, which is another example of US protectionism and suppression of China’s development.

Perhaps what is “excessive” is not China’s production capacity but U.S. anxiety, Yang said.

If we talk about non-market behavior and unfair competition, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act enacted by the US in the past two years not only clearly contain state subsidies, but also contain exclusive and discriminatory provisions. Is this the market behavior? Yang asked.

“The US has also imposed illegal sanctions on more than 1,500 Chinese entities and individuals under various pretexts. Is this fair competition?” Yang said.

Regarding the Ukraine crisis, Yang said the Chinese side has made it clear that China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it, and has done nothing to fan the flames or take advantage of the situation.

The US should stop defaming and pressuring China and stop imposing unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies, he noted.

Article via Global Times.