'China willing to be partners, friends with US'

China is willing to be partners and friends with the United States, China’s ambassador to Washington said, seeking to strengthen dialogue between the world’s two largest economies.

China has no plan to surpass or replace the United States, Xie Feng said in a speech in Hong Kong on Friday, addressing Chinese officials and the U.S. ambassador to China.

Beijing is seeking to reset relations with Washington ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in January.

Trump has pledged to impose tariffs on Chinese imports in excess of 60%, but Beijing and Chinese companies hope his protectionist policies will also irk U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, giving China an opening to increase its global influence and improve trade ties.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Friday for rejecting unilateralism and protectionism in favour of economic globalisation.

However, some analysts say China’s pitch as a counterbalance to a Trump-led United States has lost its shine compared to 2016, when Trump was first elected.

The Sino-U.S. partnership is never a zero-sum game, Xie said, adding that the two nations have great potential to work together on areas including trade, agriculture, energy, artificial intelligence and public health.

Xie emphasised a “tone of dialogue” to address each side’s concerns, saying “it is entirely possible bring issues to the table to communicate frankly, seek solutions on equal footing”.

He said Taiwan is the biggest “flashpoint” that could lead to conflict and confrontation between Beijing and Washington and called for clear opposition to “separatists” in Taiwan.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim Taipei rejects.