19th November 2023 – (Hong Kong) Former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Kong Xuan-you, cautioned against perpetuating the “China threat” narrative during the US-China relationship reset in San Francisco. Speaking at an international relations forum in Singapore, Kong emphasized the importance of moving away from the focus on competition for global dominance. He stated that eliminating the perception of China as a threat is crucial for progress and highlighted that China has no intentions of surpassing or replacing the United States.
Kong urged for less emphasis on hegemonies and instead encouraged analysts and the media to pay attention to Chinese and Asian collaborations with the West. He described the recent meeting in San Francisco as encouraging and emphasized the significance of understanding Asian values and the peaceful, win-win approach that characterises the region.
While the meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden at the APEC summit signalled a reset, challenges remain regarding issues such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, and conflicts like Ukraine. Kong stressed the importance of sustaining the reset and emphasized that the Cold War narrative is not aligned with Asian values. He emphasized the peaceful nature of the Asian approach and the unique win-win approach that Asian countries embrace..
Kong urged Asian countries to carve their own path rather than following the model Japan pursued in the 1990s. He emphasized the importance of avoiding a situation where a country becomes subservient to a hegemonic power and unable to make independent decisions. Kong highlighted that Beijing sees Tokyo as a partner and collaborator rather than a threat.