China’s foreign minister has slammed the US trade policy as “bewildering” and “absurd” as he spoke at a press conference on Thursday, where China’s leaders have been showcasing their high-tech development amid growing restrictions from Washington. He accused the US of trying to suppress China’s rise and called for more cooperation and dialogue between the two countries.
The press conference was held on the sidelines of China’s annual political gathering, known as the “two sessions”, where the country’s top leaders and lawmakers have been discussing and approving the national agenda and budget. One of the main themes of the meeting has been the promotion of “self-reliance and strength in science and technology”, which is seen as a strategic priority for China’s economic and social development.
China has been investing heavily in its high-tech sector, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, and space exploration. China has also been boosting its annual budget for science and technology by 10% to a record 370.8 billion yuan ($51.6 billion), the largest increase since 2019.
China’s high-tech achievements have been impressive and visible, such as launching the world’s first quantum satellite, sending a rover to the far side of the moon, building the world’s fastest supercomputer, and developing its own 5G network and chip industry.
US Trade Restrictions and Sanctions
However, China’s high-tech ambitions have also faced increasing challenges and obstacles from the US, which views China as a strategic rival and a potential threat. The US has been imposing various trade restrictions and sanctions on China, especially on its high-tech companies and products, in order to limit China’s access to advanced technology and markets.
The US has also been accusing China of engaging in unfair trade practices, such as intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, and industrial subsidies. The US has also been targeting China’s human rights record, such as its treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, its crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, and its assertiveness in the South China Sea.
The US trade policy has been affecting many Chinese high-tech companies and products, such as Huawei, ZTE, TikTok, WeChat, and SMIC. The US has also been restricting the exports of certain types of semiconductors, software, and equipment to China, as well as the visas of Chinese students and researchers in the US.
China’s Response and Call for Cooperation
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, has criticized the US trade policy as “bewildering” and “absurd”, and said that the US has been “devising various tactics to suppress China”. He said that the US has been “lengthening” its unilateral sanctions list to “unfathomable levels of absurdity”, and that the US has been “monopolizing the high end of the value chain and keeping China at the low end”.
Wang also questioned the US’s confidence and fairness as a major country, and said that the US has been “getting jittery whenever it hears the word China”. He said that the US has been “denying other countries legitimate development” and that the US has been “only wanting itself to prosper”.
Wang also called for more cooperation and dialogue between China and the US, and said that there have been “some improvements” in the bilateral relations since the summit between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November. He said that China and the US should “bring the relationship back on the track of stable, sound and sustainable development”.
