China hopes incoming US administration to properly handle first steps in bilateral relations: FM

China hopes that the incoming U.S. administration will properly handle its first steps in China-U.S. relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with a delegation led by Susan Elliott, president and chief executive officer of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) in Beijing.

Wang said that China's foreign policy, including its U.S. policy, has maintained its stability and continuity, which shows its determination and credibility as a major country.

China will always improve and develop its relations with the United States in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, no matter what changes take place in the United States, Wang said.

Wang quoted remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping on China's expectation of the China-U.S. relations in the future during his meeting last month with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru.

China's goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged; its commitment to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as principles for handling China-U.S. relations remains unchanged; its position of resolutely safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged; and its desire to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American peoples remains unchanged, Wang said.

He pointed out that the future direction of China-U.S. relations depends on the choice of the U.S. side, and expressed the hope that the U.S. side will work with China to meet each other halfway.

The United States must not waver in developing steady relations with China, Wang said. He urged the U.S. side to do more to stabilize bilateral relations and expressed the hope that the incoming U.S. administration will handle its first steps in China-U.S. relations properly.

Noting that the United States must have the correct strategic perception, Wang said China's development and revitalization is inevitable, and China has no intention to challenge or replace the United States, while the U.S. side should not be obsessed with winning the competition against China.

Wang called for continued dialogue, saying that dialogue may not solve all the problems, but will help promote mutual understanding, avoid miscalculations and advance cooperation.

The United States must not cross the bottom lines and red lines in bilateral relations, Wang said. He pointed out that the Taiwan question falls under China's internal affairs, and the United States should honor its commitment to the one-China principle and respect the development path chosen by the Chinese people, as well as their legitimate right to development.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries must not be reversed, Wang said. He said that China will continue to support and facilitate the exchange of personnel between the two countries, and welcomes more U.S. nationals from all walks of life to visit and seek exchange in China.

The U.S. delegation said that the goal and mission of the NCAFP is to strengthen the U.S.-China relationship, seek common ground and enhance understanding.

U.S.-China relations have been at a crossroads many times in history, and at this time of change for the U.S. administration, it is expected that the two countries will maintain effective communication, continue to carry out strategic dialogue, strengthen people-to-people exchange and stabilize bilateral ties, which will be of great importance to both countries and the world, according to the delegation.

The delegation said that the NCAFP will, as always, play its role as a bridge and make efforts toward the positive development of U.S.-China relations.

China hopes incoming US administration to properly handle first steps in bilateral relations: FM

China hopes incoming US administration to properly handle first steps in bilateral relations: FM

A China Pavilion officially opened on Monday at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification.

Covering more than 600 square meters, the China Pavilion is the second-largest national pavilion at the event. Its exhibition, themed "Cross-Century Green Great Wall, China's Restoration in Action," showcases the nation's battle against desertification, particularly through the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, a major national initiative aimed at reversing land desertification in its north, northwest and northeast regions by surrounding desert lands with trees and vegetation.

Addressing the opening ceremony, UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza Murillo praised China's significant contributions to curbing its desertification, including controlling the expansion of the Taklimakan Desert in west China, the world's second-largest shifting sand desert.

She emphasized that effective policies, community and local government involvement, as well as innovation and technology, are key components of China's success.

"The example of what the government of China is doing in restoring land, in combating desertification, means a lot to humanity. It is inspiring and remarkable to see that China has already achieved land degradation neutrality ahead of time by restoring 50 percent of curable degraded sandy land. This is amazing. It's clear that we need good leadership, good policies, engagement of the society, engagement of national governments. It's really good to see this engagement, and of course, innovation is technology, it's traditional knowledge, and this is what we are seeing in the China experience," said Murillo.

COP16, held from Dec. 2 to 13 under the theme "Our Land. Our Future," is the largest UN land-focused conference to date and the first UNCCD COP in the Middle East and North Africa.

China Pavilion opens at UN conference on desertification held in Riyadh