Four takeaways from Wang Yi’s foreign policy press conference
On Thursday morning, top diplomat Wang Yi held a press conference on China’s foreign policy.
- Here are four things we learned.
On the US: China wants the US to do more to improve relations (MoFA 1).
Wang acknowledged that US-China ties have improved since November’s Xi-Biden summit, but said that US sanctions and economic restrictions targeting China have been gone to “an unimaginable extent.”
The upshot: The warm afterglow of the Xi-Biden meeting is fading.
- If the two sides can’t make breakthroughs on economic issues, diplomatic backsliding is a real danger.
On the EU: China doesn’t want conflict with the bloc (MoFA 2).
Wang highlighted the benefits of Sino-EU cooperation but said that the EU’s classification of China as a partner, competitor, and systemic rival is akin to a traffic light flashing green, yellow, and red all at once.
- He insisted there is no “fundamental conflict of interest” between China and the EU.
The upshot: For months, Chinese leaders have repeated this message to EU counterparts.
- So far, it hasn’t worked.
On Taiwan: Beijing will stay the course (MoFA 3).
Wang said Taiwan’s recent election doesn’t change the “basic facts” about Taiwan.
- He said Beijing will “continue to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity” and “never allow Taiwan to be split from the motherland.”
The upshot: All indications point to consistent mainland policy toward Taiwan.
On Russia: Chinese support is here to stay (MoFA 4).
Wang hailed expanded China-Russia cooperation, calling it a “strategic choice made by both sides.” He also described Moscow as Beijing’s indispensable partner in creating a “new paradigm of major power relations that is completely different from the old Cold War era.”
The upshot: China’s unshakeable commitment to Russia will continue to undermine its already frayed ties with the West.