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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a press conference held on the sidelines of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing on March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Yonhap)

During China’s biggest yearly political event, the country’s top diplomat warned that if the US tries to hold China back, it will only end up hurting itself.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who also serves on the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo, fielded questions from both domestic and foreign reporters on the topics of Chinese foreign policy and external relations for over an hour and a half at the media center at the National People’s Congress in Beijing on Thursday.

Wang mentioned China’s relationship with the US during the press conference. “There has been some improvement in China-US relations since the summit in San Francisco. This meets the interests and wishes of people of both countries and the world. But it has to be pointed out that US misperception toward China continues and US promises are not truly fulfilled.”

Wang continued: “The US has been devising various tactics to suppress China and kept lengthening its unilateral sanctions list, reaching bewildering levels of unfathomable absurdity. If the US says one thing and does another, where is its credibility as a major country? If it gets jittery whenever it hears the word ‘China,’ where is its confidence as a major country?”

Wang’s criticism of the US on Thursday wasn’t as harsh as his predecessor’s was during a press conference at the National People’s Congress last year. At that time, Qin Gang said there would be “catastrophic consequences” if the US “continues to speed down the wrong path” without hitting the brakes. He added that Washington’s “so-called ‘competition’ means to contain and suppress China in all respects and get the two countries locked in a zero-sum game.”

In other words, Wang’s latest comments remain critical of the US, but that criticism isn’t as blatant as before.

That apparently follows a shift in US-China relations from last year. Last year’s press conference took place during a chill in bilateral relations after the US military shot down a high-altitude Chinese balloon about a month before the National People’s Congress. But this year’s press conference comes on the heels of US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s agreement to stabilize relations in a summit in San Francisco last November.

“China is always ready to strengthen dialogue and exchanges with the US and promote friendly exchanges in various sectors, so as to build more bridges for mutual understanding and remove unnecessary misunderstanding and biases,” Wang said.

Wang also shared his opinion on Korean Peninsula issues on Thursday when a KBS reporter asked about China’s position on rising tensions on the peninsula.

“The world is turbulent enough. Renewed conflict and turmoil should not happen on the peninsula. Anyone trying to use the Korean Peninsula issue to revive the retrogressive Cold War confrontation will be held accountable by history; anyone undermining regional peace and stability will pay a heavy price,” he said.

“China maintains a consistent position on the issue. All our efforts come down to one thing — to champion peace, stability and lasting security on the Peninsula,” he said. “The fundamental solution lies in resuming dialogue and negotiation; addressing the legitimate security concerns of all parties, especially those of the DPRK; and advancing the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue.”

Wang’s predecessor did not respond to any questions about Korea during last year’s press conference.

By Choi Hyun-june, Beijing correspondent

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