Foreign minister welcomes new US ambassador to China

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met the new United States Ambassador to China, David Perdue, in Beijing, and expressed the hope that the envoy could play a positive role in promoting the healthy, stable and sustainable development of bilateral relations.

China-US relations are currently at an important and critical juncture, Wang said. Looking back at the two countries' nearly half-century journey of diplomatic relations, with its ups and downs, Wang said the most important lesson is that equality and mutual respect are the prerequisites for interaction between the two sides, and dialogue and cooperation are the only correct choices.

He emphasized that after May's economic and trade talks in the Swiss city of Geneva, China has earnestly and strictly implemented the consensus reached by both sides.

Wang expressed firm opposition to Washington unwarrantedly taking a series of negative measures in recent times, which he said are regrettable and have damaged China's legitimate rights and interests.

He called on the US to meet China halfway and to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state in their phone call in January this year, in order to create the necessary conditions for bringing their relations back on track.

Wang welcomed Perdue taking up his post and hoped that he would be a credible communicator, a mediator of differences, and a promoter of cooperation between the two countries.

Perdue said that it is very important for the heads of state of the two countries to maintain positive and constructive interactions. As the US ambassador to China, he is willing to maintain close communication with the Chinese side in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual listening.

Perdue was sworn in as the 13th US ambassador to China on May 7, and arrived in Beijing to take up his post on May 15.