Beijing, Feb 8 (Agency) China is not afraid of competing with the United States, but is convinced that healthy and stable relations between the countries are in the interests of Beijing and Washington, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday. “China does not avoid or fear competition, but we are opposed to using the notion of competition as a definition of the entire Sino-US relationship,” Mao told a briefing. A healthy and stable relationship between the US and China “is in the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries” and is also the common expectation of the international community, Mao added.
Beijing will build relations with Washington in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutually beneficial cooperation, Mao noted, adding that at the same time, China would firmly protect its own sovereignty, security, and development interests. “The success of China and the United States is an opportunity, not a challenge for each other. There is enough space on the planet Earth to fully accommodate the development of the two countries and the joint prosperity of China and the United States,” Mao said. Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden said that he was committed to working with China where it advanced US interests but would act if Beijing threatened US sovereignty. The president also noted that winning the competition with China should unite all Americans.