Cui Tiankai, China’'s ambassador to the US. Photo: AFP/Chris Kleponis
The US State Department has summoned Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the US. Photo: Chris Kleponis / AFP

Amid ongoing debates in Washington regarding trade and security questions facing the US-China relationship, Beijing’s ambassador to the US this week cautioned against taking a confrontational approach with China.

“It’s certainly paranoid to fear that a China that follows its own path of development would be confrontational to the United States. And it’s dangerous to advocate any strategy for confrontation [against China],” Cui Tiankai was quoted by Chinese state media as saying at a Spring Festival reception at the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday.

“It would be wishful thinking to believe that some political or cultural genetic engineering could be done to change China’s DNA,” he said.

The Sino-US relationship “should be characterized by overall cooperation. Friendly competition, if competition is necessary, and no confrontation,” Cui said.

“We will continue to have differences between us, but our growing common interests are far more important. We may continue to have disagreements between us, but the need for cooperation will far outweigh any differences between us. We’ll continue to have problems, but dialogues will lead us to solutions,” Cui said.

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