The Chinese Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized United States Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, for his recent comments, labeling them as detrimental to the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated, \"It is not China but the United States that is interfering with and hindering people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.\" This response comes after Burns accused Beijing of making it \"impossible\" to reconnect the peoples of both nations.
Mao further added that the ambassador's remarks lack factual basis and deviate from the mutual understandings established during the meeting between Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco. She emphasized that Burns' comments are not conducive to fostering sound and stable China-US ties.
During their November 2023 meeting in San Francisco, Xi and Biden agreed to enhance dialogue and cooperation across various sectors, including education, youth initiatives, culture, sports, and business exchanges.
\"The Chinese side has always developed China-US relations based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, as proposed by President Xi,\" Mao stated. She highlighted the upcoming \"Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-US Youth Festival\" in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, describing it as the largest and most comprehensive event of its kind since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979.
The spokesperson criticized the US for disrupting people-to-people exchanges, citing instances where Chinese students have been harassed and repatriated under the guise of national security, causing significant harm and creating a chilling effect.
Mao concluded by urging the United States to collaborate with China to genuinely promote people-to-people exchanges and ensure the sound and stable development of bilateral relations.
Reference(s):
U.S. ambassador's remarks 'no good' for China-U.S. ties, says Beijing
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