China urges US to meet it halfway, bring ties back on track

Mao Ning made the remarks in response to Biden suggesting that a shift in US-China relations could occur soon

BEIJING:

China's foreign ministry on Monday urged the United States to have the right understanding of China, meet it halfway and bring bilateral relations back on track.

Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, made the remarks in response to US President Joe Biden suggesting that a shift in US-China relations could occur soon.

Earlier on Sunday, US President Joe Biden said the Group of Seven nations had agreed a united approach to China that called for diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on one country, and hinted that he could speak with China's president soon.

"We're not looking to decouple from China. We're looking to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China," Biden told a press conference after a three-day summit with G7 leaders. He said G7 nations were more unified than ever in terms of "resisting economic coercion together and countering harmful practices that hurt our workers."

Also read: Biden sees shift in ties with China 'shortly'

G7 leaders outlined a shared approach to "de-risk, not decouple" economic engagement with China in a Saturday communique, prompting China's embassy in Japan to urged the G7 to stop creating confrontation and division.

Despite the reaction, Biden said he expected a thaw in frosty relations with China "very shortly" after strains caused by an incident earlier this year when the United States shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over sensitive military sites.

"We should have an open hotline," Biden said. He said he had agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last year to keep communications open, but everything changed after "this silly balloon that was carrying two freight cars worth of spying equipment."