Chinese Ambassador Says Congressional Action Against China Would Damage America
China's ambassador said that if the Senate's China package or the EAGLE Act that passed the House become law, " they will hijack China-U.S. relations and gravely damage America's own interests." Qin Gang, who spoke at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Aug. 31, said these bills were formed out of misunderstanding China, disinformation about China, and "no knowledge."
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Earlier in the speech, the ambassador said the U.S.-China relationship had already endured serious damage because of "the extreme China policy of the previous U.S. administration," and said that that policy is continuing. "It goes against the fundamental interests of Chinese and American people and the wishes of the international community," he said, according to a transcript provided by the Chinese Embassy. "It would be absurd and dangerous to apply the 'Cold War playbook' to today's China-U.S. relations, and to take China as its rival and imaginary enemy, just like when Don Quixote tilted at windmills. Is any country willing to take sides between China and America? I have never heard any country say so. To the contrary, many countries are reluctant or concerned about being forced by the U.S. to pick sides."
He noted that the U.S. is China's largest trading partner, and that U.S.-China trade supports 2.6 million American jobs. "In 2020, China-U.S. two-way trade reached 580 billion dollars," he said.
He said that he spoke with American business leaders in China before he was sent to the U.S. to serve as ambassador. "They all told me that no country can take the place of China in [the] global industrial chain. They value the Chinese market, they are optimistic about the Chinese economy, and they hope to stay in China and expand their investments. They are firmly opposed to the trade war, to decoupling, and to cutting off supplies to Chinese companies. They are most worried about the uncertainty that a worsening China-U.S. relationship may have on them," he said.