Underscoring that tensions between the United States and China go beyond trade, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the United States for groundless accusations of China's domestic and foreign policies during the visit of the US Secretary of State.
China accused Donald Trump of showing wrongdoing, a statement that exposed growing tensions between the world's two largest economies and underscored the potential for their trade war to escalate into a broader oneregional confrontation.
The condemnation of the US president came during a visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and came just days after a sharply worded statement by US Vice President Mike Pencespeech accusing China of interfering in the U.S. midterm elections.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused Trump of continuously escalating trade frictions with China, while harming China's rights and interests on Taiwan and other issues, and also groundlessly criticized China's domestic and foreign policies.
We demand that the US side immediately stop its wrong words and deeds.Wang Yi said.He reminded Pompeo that Beijing was key to any U.S. deal with North Korea.The two major countries and the two permanent members of the Security Council need and should strengthen communication and cooperation, and shoulder the responsibilities entrusted to us by the international community.
Trump's tariff brinkmanship against Beijing, which includes tariffs on nearly half of Chinese imports, has unnerved international markets and the International Monetary Fund has warned it could damage already strugglingEmerging market situation.
China's central bank pumped money into the domestic banking system again on Monday to spur lending as U.S. trade pressures slow China's economic growth.But the move failed to reassure investors, with the Shanghai Composite falling 3.7%, while the yuan fell 0.9% against the dollar.
The recent diplomatic spat, however, is a sign that bilateral tensions have gone far beyond trade, after the White House also approved a $330 million arms sale to Taiwan.
Pompeo said on Monday that the United States and China have fundamental differences on several issues raised by Wang Yi.He told Wang Yi: I regret that you chose to cancel the strategic dialogue between our two countries.
Expecting a whirlwind of high-level diplomacy on North Korea in the coming months, Pompeo said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had agreed to hold a second summit with Trump as soon as possible.He added that North Korea was willing to allow international inspectors to assess the country's steps toward denuclearization.
The leader of the Chinese presidency is also expected to travel to Pyongyang, according to South Korean head of state Moon Jae-in.Moon also said a summit between North Korea and Japan was also possible.But analysts said a widening divide between the United States and China could cloud progress.
The strategic competition between the United States and China has become increasingly fierce, and this has become China's top geopolitical concern.Zhao Tong of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing said that under such circumstances, the core goal of China's diplomatic work inevitably shifted to gaining an advantage in competition with the US.
Pompeo arrived in Beijing after visiting Pyongyang.During his stay in Pyongyang, he held productive and cordial talks with Kim Jong-un, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The Kremlin said Russia had invited Kim for a state visit but had yet to agree on specific arrangements.
The North Korean leader has been invited.After the specific arrangements for the visit are agreed upon through diplomatic channels, we will make an appropriate announcement on the matter.Vladimir bull; Putin (Vladimir Putin) spokesman Dmitry bull; Peskov (Dmitry Peskov) said.
Translator/He Li
