TAIPEI, TAIWAN — No country should expect to suppress China and maintain good relations with it, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, as he warned of a reaction if the United States tried to contain his country.
But in response to questions about U.S. relations as President Donald Trump begins his second term, Wang also held out the prospect of a successful partnership between the world’s two biggest economies.
“No country should fantasize that it can suppress China and maintain a good relationship with China at the same time,” Wang told a news conference on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing.
“Such two-faced acts are not good for the stability of bilateral relations or for building mutual trust.”
The United States has imposed tariffs of 20% on Chinese goods since Trump took office — 10% last month and a further 10% coming into effect on Tuesday.
Trump imposed the tariffs in retaliation for what he says is China’s refusal to stop the outflow of precursors for the synthetic opioid fentanyl. U.S. officials blame fentanyl for tens of thousands of deaths each year.
China moved swiftly to retaliate with tariffs of its own on American agricultural and food products while accusing the United States of “bullying.”
Wang said the U.S. should reassess its policies, particularly on tariffs. He also dismissed U.S. criticism over fentanyl, describing it as a domestic issue that the U.S. must confront internally.
The U.S. “should not repay kindness with grievances, let alone impose tariffs without reason,” he said, adding that China had provided the United States with “various assistance” to tackle the flow of fentanyl precursor drugs into the U.S.
“If one side blindly exerts pressure, China will resolutely counter that,” Wang said.
Wang warned of the “law of the jungle” in international relations if powerful countries bullied smaller ones.
“Small and weak countries will get burned first, and the international order and rules will be under severe shock,” he said. “Major countries should undertake their international obligations … and not seek to profit from and bully the weak.”
He said China welcomed more countries into a “community of a shared future.”
“History proves that the only way to be a real winner is to care for everyone,” he added.
“Playing with fire”
On broader U.S.-China relations, Wang denounced “unjustified external suppression” of China’s technology sector and reiterated Beijing’s opposition to Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Wang called on the U.S. to foster “positive and pragmatic cooperation and dialogue,” while emphasizing that mutual respect remained the foundation of U.S.-China ties, and their economic and trade ties were interdependent.
“The two countries can be partners that contribute to each other’s success,” he said.
Wang held out the prospect of good ties with the European Union as well, noting that annual China-EU trade has grown to US$780 billion.
“We also believe that Europe can be a reliable partner. Both sides have the ability and wisdom to properly handle existing issues through friendly consultations,” he said.
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Wang reaffirmed Beijing’s position on self-ruled Taiwan and accused outside powers of fueling instability, adding that anyone supporting Taiwan’s independence would get burned.
“Taiwan has never been a country; it was not in the past, and it will never be in the future,” he said, warning that “allowing Taiwan independence undermines stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
Wang further criticized “external support” for the island’s independence.
“Supporting Taiwan independence is playing with fire,” he said.
On the war in Ukraine, Wang repeated China’s stance of support for political negotiations to end a conflict that he said “could have been avoided.”
“China has been advocating for peace talks since the first day of the crisis,” he said.
“All parties should learn something from the crisis,” he said. “Among many other things, security should be mutual and equal, and no country should build its security on the insecurity of another,” he said.
