3月19日早间英文播报：Goodwill seen as crucial for Sino-US talks

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High-levelmeeting called chance to build confidence in stability, recovery

Beijing and Washington are expected tofully tap into opportunities created by their upcoming high-level strategicdialogue to mitigate hostility, prevent crises, patch up mutual trust and thusshore up global confidence in stability and recovery, world leaders and seniorscholars have said.

They made the prediction at a time whenChina and the United States are seen as a pair of engines capable of drivingthe world through its severe economic downturn. It also comes amid concernsover uncertainties that haunt the top two economies' relations.

The high-level strategic dialogue,initially proposed by Washington, will be held on Thursday and Friday inAnchorage, Alaska.

The event will bring together Yang Jiechi,a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China CentralCommittee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of theCPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, USSecretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Advisor JakeSullivan.

The meeting will be the first face-to-face,high-level contact between the two governments since US President Joe Bidentook office on Jan 20.

The United Nations said on Tuesday that ithopes for "a positive outcome" from the meeting.

"We hope that China and the US canfind ways to collaborate on critical issues, notably on climate change, onrebuilding the post-COVID world," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UNSecretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"We are all hoping and encouraging thetwo large powers to think very carefully before deciding that the other one isan adversary," Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in aninterview with the BBC that aired on Sunday. "It is not possible for us tochoose one or the other because we have very intense and extensive ties withboth the US and with China."

Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the ChineseAcademy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies, said Washington'shigh profile attacks against China before its dialogue with Beijing "aimsat hyping tension, and its attempt to pressure China will not succeed".

"The repeated attacks (on China), inturn, betray Washington's lack of confidence, and such remarks serve as a toolof psychological warfare," Yuan said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saidon Wednesday that China's acceptance of the US invitation to attend the Alaskameeting "manifests our goodwill and sincerity" in resuming bilateraldialogue and exchanges and improving and developing their ties.

Washington is expected to focus oncooperation, showing mutual respect, and to "manage, tackle differences ina constructive manner", Zhao said. Both countries share duties in tacklingclimate change and promoting global post-COVID recovery, he said.

"China-US confrontation does not servethe interests of the international community," Zhao added.

Reacting to the results of a recent pollreleased by Gallup reporting an increase in hostility toward China among the USpublic, Zhao said the damage left by the previous US administration's massivedefamation campaign targeting China "has yet to be mitigated". Thenew administration should break away from a Cold War mentality and view Chinaand ties with China in an objective way, he said.

During his trip to Japan this week, Blinkentook a tough stance on several occasions against China on topics includinghuman rights.

In response, Zhao said China will use theupcoming dialogue to make clear its positions, and it believes that the US isfully aware of China's determination to guard its sovereignty, security anddevelopment interests.

Jia Qingguo, director of the Institute forGlobal Cooperation and Understanding of Peking University, said China hasmanifested its willingness to fulfill the principle of no conflict, noconfrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and "we hope the USwould eventually respond with goodwill".

Currently, mistrust is "still runningat a high level" between the two countries, and voices advocatinghardening sentiments toward China cannot be ignored back in the US, said Jia.

To improve their relations, the twocountries are faced with many challenges and difficulties, and to tackle thesechallenges, dialogue and reconciliation at all levels should be resumed betweenthe two countries at an early date, Jia said.

Chen Dongxiao, president of the ShanghaiInstitutes for International Studies, said tackling China-US ties requires"realistic expectations" rather than "unrealistic hopes",and both sides should grab the chance for dialogue "with a strong sense ofurgency".

"Staying put for a long time meansmissing quite a few opportunities.…The upcoming meeting is a good chance forboth sides to compare notes and draw lines," Chen said.

Chen underlined the importance of securingthe bottom line for China-US ties, which is to prevent miscalculation ormisjudgment from leading to military conflicts.

Xu Bu, president of the China Institute ofInternational Studies, said that after the Biden administration took office,relations among major countries began a new round of adjustments, and"China-US relations have ushered in a window of opportunity for settingthings right".

As permanent members of the United NationsSecurity Council, both China and the US bear special responsibility for worldpeace and development, and the international community is closely tracking thetrajectory of their ties, Xu said.

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记者：张陨璧

播报：CorrieKnight

音频编辑：万月英

原文链接：

https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202103/18/WS60528b6ba31024ad0baafd5d.html