Ministry seeks improved Sino-US ties

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Wednesday urged a small number of US politicians to listen to the international community, abandon their Cold War mentality and put bilateral ties back on the right track. He said that a steady and sound relationship between China and the United States serves the immediate and future interests of both countries and the world.

Zhao made the remarks after United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that the China-US relationship "has never been as dysfunctional as it is today".Guterres warned that escalating tensions between the two powers threaten to divide the world into "two blocs", which is a huge risk for the world.

"We consistently believe that China-US cooperation can benefit the two countries and the world by addressing global issues, while confrontation goes against the common interests of the international community," Zhao said at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

He noted that the current China-US relationship is suffering serious difficulties due to the US government's unilateral provocations and a series of statements and actions that interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests and gravely harmed bilateral relations.

Some US politicians have been fanning anti-China sentiments and provoking a rivalry to serve their own interests, Zhao said, but such regressive actions have been and will continue to be criticized and resisted by insightful and peace-loving people in both countries and the world.

He called on these politicians to "work with China to bring China-US relations back on the track of coordination, cooperation and stability and to jointly safeguard world peace, stability and development".

The spokesman also announced that Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi started a three-day official visit to China on Wednesday.

Retno is the first foreign minister to visit China "as virus control is being conducted on an ongoing basis", said Zhao, adding that this shows the "high importance" that both countries attach to bilateral relations.

According to Zhao, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with Retno during her visit. The two sides will exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations, anti-epidemic cooperation and joint construction of the Belt and Road.

The relationship between China and Indonesia, both important neighbors and partners, has enjoyed rapid development under the guidance of their leaders, Zhao said, noting the progress achieved in landmark projects such as the China-built Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway project.