China not ‘most serious competitor’ of US:Ambassador Qin Gang

Published: December 12,2022

By Staff Writer 

The Chinese ambassador to US His Excellency Qin Gang said that those who see china as ‘most serious competitor’ are making a strategic misconception. The ambassador made the remarks during the 2022 annual gala of the China General Chamber of Commerce – Chicago, on Dec 8, 2022.

The remarks were interpreted as mainly directed at US that does not only consider China as “the most serious competitor” but also goes further to consider the country as an enemy. In an opinion poll conducted by Gallup, Forty-five percent of Americans say China is the greatest enemy of the U.S., more than double the percentage who said so in 2020.

Some people see China as “the most serious competitor” and “the most consequential long-term geopolitical challenge”, which is out of grave strategic misperception and misjudgment, China’s ambassador to the US Qin Gang said. 

“China and the US are each other’s major trading and investment partners. Our industries are deeply integrated and highly complementary. Over the past decades, our economic and trade cooperation has been very productive, benefiting the two peoples and promoting world development and prosperity,” Qin said.

“Outcompeting China has become the purpose of all the China policies of the US. Because of this, the notion of national security has been over-stretched, economic and trade issues are politicized and weaponized, export controls, import restrictions, harsher investment reviews are imposed, as well as measures in tech decoupling, sectorial regulation and industrial subsidies,” said Qin.

US and China are the world’s first and second largest economies in the world and a healthy relationship in business and trade would not only benefit the two countries but the whole world, economic analysts say. However, the US has imposed embargoes and trade restrictions of Chinese products on the US market. This has had a double effect of hampering Chinese investors in the US and vice versa. The Chinese government on the other hand believes in open trade and promises to keep the Chinese markets open.  

“We will upgrade trade in goods, develop new mechanisms for trade in services, and promote digital trade. We will make proper reductions to the negative list for foreign investment, protect the rights and interests of foreign investors, and foster a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment. We will never shut our door, but will only open it wider,” said Qin.

“I appreciate the US business community for staying optimistic about China, and I hope that you will expand cooperation with China and further explore the Chinese market,” he said.

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