A senior Chinese official said he was “optimistic” about the future of his nation’s ties with the US, among the most upbeat comments given by Beijing in recent weeks about a relationship upended by Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Both the Chinese and the Americans are hoping for a “friendly, good” relationship between their countries, and politicians are expected to heed the will of the people, Liu Jianchao, head of the Communist Party’s International Department, said at the government-backed World Peace Forum on Thursday.
Speaking in Beijing, Liu called a war between China and the US “unimaginable” but highlighted Taiwan and the South China Sea as possible flashpoints. He urged America to respect the One China principle, which dictates that Taiwan is part of China’s territory.
Liu urged America to respect China’s sovereignty and honor its commitments on Taiwan. “We will decide at what time to take what kind of measures to achieve China’s reunification based on the development of the situation, our needs, and movements of Taiwan’s separatist forces,” he said.
China is adopting a less confrontational tone with the US days after confirming details of a trade framework with Washington, as the world’s two largest economies finalized an understanding reached in Geneva.
But while the trade truce may be holding for now, Beijing is increasingly wary about US efforts to forge deals that could isolate Chinese firms from global supply chains.
“China is keenly aware of what it’s gained from China-US cooperation,” Liu said. “Our cooperation is mutually beneficial. The act of putting up barriers will hurt the other and ourselves as well.”
The Chinese official also struck a critical note, recalling US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s message of “peace through strength” — delivered a month ago during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore — and calling it “a rebranding of hegemonism.”
“Such rhetoric is about flexing muscles instead of encouraging dialogue,” Liu said. “It will only stir up confrontation and conflicts instead of promoting peace and harmony.”
The diplomat additionally addressed some of the territorial disputes China has with its neighbors, sketching out an approach to solving its border issues with India and Bhutan that he said will rely on dialogue.
“China is not leveraging its size and national strength to oppress others,” Liu said. “Instead, we’re trying to find solutions to control and address the South China Sea issue through negotiations.”
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