Beijing Hopes Washington to Abandon Cold War Mentality, Zero-Sum Mindset

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks on Thursday as he confirmed that Chinese diplomats will meet with US officials in Alaska on March 18 and 19, Asia News reported.

China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and State Councillor Wang Yi, will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, “at the invitation of the United States”, the Spokesman stated.

Ties between Washington and Beijing particularly soured under former US President Donald Trump, who clashed with China on trade, technology, and regional security, among other things.

On Tuesday, China’s President Xi Jinping said the military needs to “be prepared” amid an “unstable” security situation with other nations.

“The current security situation of our country is largely unstable and uncertain,” Xi stated during the panel discussion attended by armed forces representatives, The South China Morning Post reported.

The president’s latest remarks come after Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe on Saturday called for the military to enhance its combat readiness, noting that China’s national security had “entered a high-risk phase".

Last week, Xi described the US as “the source of chaos in the present-day world” and ​“the biggest threat to our country’s development and security”.

Although US-Chinese relations fell to new lows under the Trump administration, Biden has vowed to be even tougher on Beijing than his predecessor. In a tense call with Xi last month, Biden warned Beijing that the US was concerned with its activities in the Indo-Pacific, human rights abuses, and unfair trade practices. Chinese officials have repeatedly denied all of the allegations.