Ministry: China is committed to sound ties with US

The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday reiterated China's commitment to a stable, sound and sustainable relationship with the United States, saying that the two countries can help each other succeed and prosper together as history has shown.

In remarks on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations, which was observed on Monday, a ministry spokesperson said that China's US policy is consistent and clear, namely mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

"This is the experience we have gained from the course of China-US ties over the years and the right way for the two countries to get along with each other," the spokesperson said, adding that it is also consistent with the trend of the times and serves the common interests of both sides.

The past 45 years has seen bilateral trade surging from less than $2.5 billion in 1979 to close to $760 billion in 2022; two-way investment increasing from almost zero to over $260 billion; and the setting up of 284 pairs of sister provinces, states and cities. The two countries have also carried out useful cooperation on various international and regional hotspot and global issues.

"History shows that the growth of China-US relations not only contributes to the good of the two peoples but also to world peace, stability and development," said the spokesperson.

Noting that the summit meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco has pointed the way forward for bilateral relations, the spokesperson expressed China's willingness to join hands with the US to steer their relations in the right direction to the benefit of both countries and the world at large.

Smears opposed

In another development, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Tuesday strongly hit back at claims of "attacks on freedom of the press" in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, saying that any attempt to interfere in Hong Kong affairs in the name of "freedom of the press" is doomed to fail.

Speaking of a recent statement from the "Media Freedom Coalition" signed by the US, the United Kingdom and other countries, Wang said China is strongly opposed to certain countries' smears about the Hong Kong SAR's freedom of the press, attacks on the SAR's legitimate law enforcement and their support for anti-China, destabilizing activists such as Jimmy Lai.

The spokesman said the cases of WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden have shown to the world that these countries don't care about the freedom of the press at all once it involves their own interests.

"Waving the banner of 'freedom of the press' to make groundless accusations on Hong Kong affairs, they only exposed their discontent with Hong Kong's thriving development and attempt to maintain their past privileges and influence in Hong Kong. However, all of these attempts are in vain," Wang said.

According to the spokesman, it is a fact that any unbiased person cannot deny that there are more international media outlets and journalists in Hong Kong today compared with before the Hong Kong national security law took effect in 2020.

"We urge relevant countries to face squarely the fact that Hong Kong has returned to the motherland and abandon their colonial mentality," Wang added.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn