NHK: US President Joe Biden was sworn in today. What is China’s expectation for the development of China-US relations? President Biden has also signed a number of executive orders, including on returning the US to the Paris Agreement and World Health Organization (WHO). What is China’s comment on this?
Hua Chunying: We congratulate President Biden on taking office. I’ve noticed that the American media say this turns a new page in American history. This morning, as I watched the fireworks display and heard the crowd cheering at the inauguration party, I did feel somewhat emotional. Indeed, it has been a very rough patch. After going though the trying days, the people of China and the United States deserve a better future, and we wish President Biden every success in state governance.
I noticed that President Biden has repeatedly stressed the term “unity” in his inaugural address, which is precisely what’s needed in current China-US relations. Because over the past four years, a small number of anti-China politicians in the United States have lied too much out of their own political interests and incited too much hatred and division, and the people of both countries have all suffered because of it. Many people of insight from China, the United States, and the international community, all hope China-US relations will get back to the right track at an early date, and the two sides can work together to meet the major pressing challenges facing the world today.
Due to differences in social system, stage of development, history and culture, it is normal for China and the United States to have some differences. But as President Biden said in his inaugural address, democracy allows disagreement and “Disagreement must not lead to disunion”. I think this should also be reflected in international relations. Countries with different social systems, cultural backgrounds and ideologies should and are fully able to coexist in harmony, engage in dialogue and cooperation, and jointly work for world peace, stability and development.
President Biden also mentioned that the United States “has too much to heal, much to restore”. The same is true of China-US relations. In the past few years, the Trump administration, especially Pompeo, has laid too many mines, burned too many bridges and destroyed too many roads in China-US relations, which are waiting to be cleared, rebuilt and repaired. I think both China and the United States need to show courage and wisdom, truly hear, see and show respect to one another. This is what we should do as two major powers. This is also what the international community wishes to see. “We believe anything’s possible if we set our mind to it.” I believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, the “better angels” in China-US relations can overcome forces for evil.
China welcomes the return of the United States to the Paris Agreement, and we look forward to its positive contributions to combating climate change. The Paris Agreement is a result of multilateralism, which brings together countries around the world, strengthens the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is an important legal instrument to guide post-2020 international cooperation on climate change. China is willing to work with the US side and the international community to meet common challenges, jointly promote the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, work together to build a win-win, fair and reasonable climate governance system, and contribute to the global low-carbon transformation and green post-pandemic recovery.
With regard to the retraction of the U.S. withdrawal from WHO, we all know that WHO is a specialized institution in the field of international health and plays an important leading and coordinating role in international anti-epidemic cooperation. China always maintains that all countries should actively support WHO’s work and jointly safeguard international public health security. In particular, against the grim situation of the raging COVID-19 pandemic, we welcome the return of the United States to WHO, and we are willing to strengthen cooperation with the United States and other countries.
