The Chinese envoy said China is prepared to be friends and partners with the United States

In an effort to improve communication between the two biggest economies in the world, China’s ambassador to Washington stated that China is open to being friends and partners with the US. Speaking to Chinese officials and the U.S. ambassador to China on Friday in Hong Kong, Xie Feng stated that China has no intention of overtaking or replacing the United States. Ahead of Donald Trump’s reelection in January, Beijing is attempting to mend fences with Washington.

Beijing and Chinese corporations anticipate that Trump’s protectionist tactics would also annoy U.S. friends in Europe and Asia, allowing China to expand its worldwide influence and strengthen trade relations. Trump has promised to levy tariffs on Chinese goods of more than 60%. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a push on Friday to support economic globalization against protectionism and unilateralism. However, compared to 2016, when Trump was first elected, some observers claim that China’s appeal as a counterbalance to a Trump-led United States has diminished.

According to Xie, the Sino-American cooperation is never a zero-sum game. The two countries have a lot of opportunity to collaborate on issues like public health, trade, agriculture, energy, and artificial intelligence. In order to address the concerns of both parties, Xie emphasized a “tone of dialogue,” stating that “it is entirely possible to bring issues to the table to communicate frankly, seek solutions on equal footing.”

He said Taiwan is the biggest “flashpoint” that could lead to conflict and confrontation between Beijing and Washington and called for clear opposition to “separatists” in Taiwan. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim Taipei rejects.