On February 8, 2018 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and State Councilor Yang Jiechi, who was visiting the United States (US), held talks at the US Department of State with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of the US.
Yang Jiechi expressed that China-US relations have achieved important and positive progress under the joint guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump over the past year. Since 2018, the two heads of state have exchanged views for several times through telephone talks, telegrams and other means, charting the course for the development of China-US relations in the new year. Work teams of the two countries should continue to earnestly implement the consensus and outcomes reached by the two heads of state during meeting in Beijing, maintain close exchanges at high level and across all levels, make good use of four high-level dialogue mechanisms, expand exchanges and cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, two militaries, law enforcement, drug control, people-to-people and cultural engagement and locality, enhance communication and coordination on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and other major international and regional issues, and stick to controlling differences and sensitive issues in a constructive manner, so as to ensure bilateral relations to achieve more positive results.
Yang Jiechi pointed out that China unswervingly follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, vigorously promotes comprehensive reform in the country, adheres to the path of peaceful development outside the country, and commits to the opening-up strategy with mutual benefit and win-win results. The maintenance of positive development in bilateral relations conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and is also the common expectation of the international community. It is hoped that both sides could work toward the same goal,, respect each other, and share mutual benefit, in a bid to promote bilateral relations for long-term, sound and stable development.
Rex Tillerson expressed that US-China relations are very important. The US side is willing to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to implement the consensus and outcomes of the two heads of state during the meeting in Beijing, consolidate and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly resolve differences based on mutual respect, so as to boost relations between both countries to achieve more positive progress.
Yang Jiechi pointed out that many facts have proved that the essence of China-US economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win results, which brings great benefits to the two peoples. Both sides need to well implement the outcomes reached by the two heads of state in economic and trade areas during their meeting in Beijing, explore to carry out more practical cooperation in such areas as energy, infrastructure construction and the Belt and Road Initiative, and continuously strengthen policy coordination in bilateral macro-economic situation and international economic affairs. The two sides should properly resolve economic and trade issues by opening each other’s market and making a big cake of cooperation, so as to safeguard sound development of bilateral economic and trade relations. Rex Tillerson agreed that the two sides should jointly make researches on and discuss effective solutions to economic and trade issues between the two countries.
Yang Jiechi also expounded China’s stance on Taiwan and other issues, and required the US side to take China’s concerns seriously. Rex Tillerson said that the US continues adhering to the one-China policy.
Both sides exchanged views on the current Korean Peninsula situation. Yang Jiechi expressed that China has always adhered to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, and resolving issues trough dialogue and negotiation. The international community should support the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to improve their relations, so as to continue the current momentum of relaxation on the Peninsula.
The two sides agreed to hold the second round of China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in the first half of this year, and hold the second round of China-US Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, China-US Social and People-to-People Dialogue and China-US Law Enforcement and Cyber Security Dialogue at an early date within this year.
