Chinese ambassador urges U.S. to make right decisions at relations' "crossroads"

China's ambassador to the United States is calling on Washington to make the right choice, saying the two countries are "at the crossroads of history for bilateral relations."

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai addresses the 2018 Penn Wharton China Summit in Philadelphia, US, on Sunday, April 15, 2018. [Photo: China Plus]

Cui Tiankai has used a speech to the Penn Wharton China Summit, the elite business school where Donald Trump studied, to address issues in bilateral relations under the US President's administration.

The ambassador says Beijing expects both sides to build a strong, healthy and sustainable relationship.

He notes China and the US officially established diplomatic relations close on the heels of China's launch of the reform and opening-up process four decades ago.

As part of his speech, Cui Tiankai has noted that opening up has been key to China's development the past 40 years.

But noting the potential of a trade war brought on by Trump administration actions, Cui Tiankai suggests the US side should reflect on the progress that has been made in China-US relations, suggesting the relationship is at a "crossroads of history."

"I hope US politicians and so-called strategists make the right choice at the crossroads of history for bilateral relations. As long as we prioritize the interests of the two countries' people, the right choice is apparent and the decision is not difficult to make."

Cui Tiankai has also suggested the root cause of the trade imbalance between the two countries is the US economic structure, rather than China.

"China does not pursue trade surplus with the US. It also hopes to see balance. The huge US trade deficit to China is caused by many factors, including issues in industrial chain, economic structure, low savings rate, and polices of the US. US government intends to restrict high-tech product export to China in private sector – we want to buy, they don't want to sell. This also fuels the deficit."

China and US economic and trade ties have experienced almost continual growth since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Trade volumes last year exceeded 580 billion US dollars, due in-part to bilateral investment.

In 2017, US aircraft maker Boeing's deliveries to China accounted for 26-percent of its total global deliveries.

US soybean exports to China accounted for over 60-percent of the US total last year.

As such, Cui Tiankai says it’s been unfair for US politicians and the President to suggest that "China is stealing jobs from American people."

"I think both Chines and American workers have the rights to ideal jobs and better life. Their wishes deserve fulfillment. But this is not the sole drive for Chinese workers to come to the US. They come to the US mainly as a result of the US companies that expand their resource allocation and production across the globe in order to maximize their profit. This greatly benefits US economy. Its GDP almost doubled from 2001 to 2017."