Chinese Ambassador to US: 'It's Dangerous to Advocate Confrontation'
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Any strategy of confrontation with China is dangerous, there is no need to be afraid of the fact that Beijing goes its own way with respect to development, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said at a Chinese New Year celebration.
"It is utterly paranoid to fear that China's pursuit of its own path of development will be confrontational to the US, and it is also dangerous to advocate any strategy of confrontation," China's Xinhua News Agency quoted the ambassador as saying.
He added that the relationship between China and the US "should be characterized by a comprehensive partnership, a friendly rivalry, if necessary, and the absence of any confrontation."
"We will continue to have differences between us, but our growing common interests are far more important. We may continue to have disagreements between us, but the need for cooperation will far outweigh any differences between us. We'll continue to have problems, but dialogues will lead us to solutions," the Chinese diplomat added, Sputnik reported.
Earlier, the US published a new defense strategy that says long-term strategic rivalries with Russia and China are a principal priority for the Pentagon, requiring a constant increase in investment. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, presenting the strategy, said that the rivalry of the great powers, and not the fight against terrorism, will be the focus of the United States' attention in accordance with the new defense strategy.
In addition to this, US President Donald Trump ordered a China trade investigation, to determine whether Chinese policies hurt US investors or companies, a move that was condemned by Beijing.
Last week, China launched an anti-dumping probe into sorghum imports from the US. China is the top buyer of US sorghum; imports reached almost $1 billion last year.
