Question four: China and the United States are permanent members of the UN Security Council. The whole international community hopes that China and the United States will work together to address various global challenges. What progress has China and the United States made in bilateral and multilateral cooperation?

Wang Yi: The history of China-U.S. relations shows that China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Against the backdrop of a swirling combination of a global pandemic and major changes, both unseen in a century, as well as unprecedented challenges facing human society, China and the United States, as two major countries, must strengthen cooperation in bilateral and multilateral areas and work with other countries to overcome difficulties. This not only serves the interests of China and the United States, but also meets the common expectation of the international community.

During the meeting, President Xi Jinping said that China-U.S. cooperation is good for both countries and the world. There are differences between China and the United States, but they should not become an obstacle to growing China-U.S. relations. Instead, they should serve as a driving force for exchanges and cooperation. Cooperation requires a good atmosphere and stable relations. It is not one side drawing up a laundry list of demands to the other side. It is about accommodating each other's concerns, and should be a process of give-and-take. No matter what the state China-U.S. relations are in, the two countries must not be less willing to fulfill their responsibilities as major countries in international affairs.

President Xi Jinping pointed out that China and the United States should work together to make the list of cooperation longer rather than shorter. The two presidents agreed that their teams may continue dialogue on macroeconomic policies, and economic and trade ties, and the two countries will jointly work for the positive results of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The two sides will work together on the implementation of the two cooperation documents in the fields of public health and agriculture, encourage and support China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges, and expand such exchanges in all sectors. The two sides will continue to carry out consultations of the China-U.S. joint working group to resolve more specific issues.

Facts have proven time and again that the entire China-U.S. relations cannot be simply defined by competition. Cooperation will always remain the best option for China and the United States. China-U.S. cooperation benefits all parties and opens up a win-win future for both China and the United States and for the whole world.

Question five: What other important issues of common concern did the two sides exchange views on?

Wang Yi: President Xi Jinping made clear China's position and attitude on some major issues of interest to the United States and the international community.

On democracy and human rights, President Xi Jinping noted that freedom, democracy and human rights are the common pursuit of humanity and also the unwavering pursuit of the CPC. Just as the United States has American-style democracy, China has Chinese-style democracy; both fit their respective national conditions. The whole-process people's democracy practiced in China is based on the country's reality, history and culture, and it reflects people's will. The specific differences between the two sides can be worked out through discussion, but only on the precondition of equality. To define one's own country as democratic and other countries as authoritarian is in itself undemocratic. The so-called "democracy vs. authoritarianism" narrative is a false one. It is not the defining feature of today's world, still less does it represent the trend of the times.

On social systems and paths, President Xi Jinping pointed out that the two countries take different paths; while the United States practices capitalism, China practices socialism. Such difference has existed since Day One of China-U.S. engagement and will continue to exist. For China and the United States to get along, it is vital to recognize and respect such difference. The leadership of the CPC and China's socialist system have the support of 1.4 billion people. They are the fundamental guarantee for China's development and stability. Attempting to subvert the leadership of the CPC and China's socialist system would mean stepping on the bottom line and crossing the red line, which will undermine the foundation of bilateral relations.

On economic ties and trade, President Xi Jinping noted that China-U.S. economic and trade relations benefit both sides. Waging a trade war or a technology war, building walls and barriers, and pushing for decoupling and severing supply chains run counter to the principles of market economy, and undermine international trade rules. Such attempts serve no one's interests. China will unswervingly pursue reform and opening-up, and rely on our own to promote development and progress of the country. The Chinese nation has the proud tradition of standing up for itself. Any suppression and containment will only strengthen the will and boost the morale of the Chinese people. If the United States decides to go further down on the doomed path of decoupling, it will ultimately backfire on the U.S. itself.