‘Destructive forces’ are trying to sabotage US-China ties, Beijing envoy warns

Chinese envoy to the United States said that the two parties were resolving issues on the phase one of the trade deal, but warned of other parties trying to meddle in the talks and come in between of the two countries without providing further details.

Envoy to the United States Ambassador Cui Tiankai said that the US-China relationship was at a critical point due to the differences in trade, but that this conflict was possible to resolve.

“At the same time, we must be alert that some destructive forces are taking advantage of the ongoing trade friction (through) extreme rhetoric such as ‘decoupling,’ the ‘new Cold War,’ and ‘clash of civilizations,’” Cui said.

He called on the US and Chinese companies who were keen to resolve the trade war and expand their trades to stand up against other parties who attempt to “spread hostility and even create conflict between us,” as well as “fake news” about the situation in Hong Kong and even in the region of Xinjiang, where Uighur Muslim minorities were victimized on the grounds of human rights abuses as claimed by some US officials.

Cui’s comments came after President Trump’s announcement that the interim trade agreement with China might come after the November 2020 US presidential elections.

The US-China trade war has been dragging on for 17 months, as the US cracks down on what it believes to be the Chinese government’s efforts to steal US technology and dominate global markets.

The issue of the abuse of Uighur Muslim minority in China and the anti-government rallies in Hong Kong have added fuel to longstanding concerns on human rights. Beijing calls out US actions as interference in its sovereign concerns.

The US House of Representatives, which is mostly dominated by Democrats, voted on a bill requiring Trump to make a stronger approach on the issue of China’s crackdown on the Uighurs. China warned that the US legislation will affect the cooperation of the two parties and dim the prospects of the deal.

Cui said that the reports on the situations both in Hong Kong and in Xinjiang have been severely distorted. “Facts are facts no matter how much fake news is generated,” he said.

The ambassador did not directly address the trade talks but said that Beijing was still committed to expand its trade and investment with the US.