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.