Commerce ministry responds to US open letter on confronting China

BEIJING -- Provoking confrontation between China and the United States does not enjoy US mainstream public support, while promoting win-win cooperation between the two countries conforms to the wishes of the people, said the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) Thursday.

It is also hoped that certain American people will encourage win-win cooperation instead of advocacy of confrontation and hegemony, said a spokesperson for the MOC in response to an open letter by more than 100 Americans to US President Donald Trump, which called on the US government to stay the course on the path of confronting China.

The letter, signed by veterans and former intelligence officers, is full of hegemonic thinking and Cold War mentality, defames and discredits China's domestic and foreign policies, incites "decoupling" of the two economies and provokes confrontation and conflict between the two countries, the spokesperson said.

"It is completely alarmist and groundless," the spokesperson said.

The ministry has noticed that some 100 US experts from political, military, industrial, commercial, and academic circles also wrote an open letter titled "China is not an enemy" last month, the spokesperson said.

From the different reactions by the media and people of the two countries in response to the two letters, it can be seen that inciting confrontation between China and the United States is not supported by the majority of the US public, the spokesperson said, adding that promoting win-win cooperation between the two countries accords with the wishes of the people.

The Chinese side has always believed that the economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States is mutually beneficial and win-win, the spokesperson said.

Economic and trade cooperation has brought tangible benefits to both countries and their peoples. In 2018, bilateral goods and service trade volume exceeded 750 billion US dollars and two-way investment totaled nearly 250 billion US dollars.

"A small number of people of the US have advocated the decoupling of the two economies. It is not rational, realistic or feasible," the spokesperson said, adding that China and the United States are highly integrated economies, both representing important parts of the global industrial and value chain.

The spokesperson expressed the hope that certain people of the United States can give up zero-sum thinking, view China's development as well as Sino-US economic and trade relations correctly, and stop tarnishing and blaming the Chinese side, the spokesperson said.

It is also hoped that certain American people will encourage win-win cooperation instead of advocacy of confrontation and hegemony, the spokesperson said. "This is in line with the common interests of both countries and their peoples."