[Text/Observer Network Qi Qian] Local time on June 3, the former US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, who had just returned from his term in the United States, accepted an exclusive interview with Politico to discuss Sino-US relations. The interview was released on May 5.

Burns said that US President Trump's tariff policy made a "fundamental mistake," namely, while imposing tariffs on long-term allies, he also hoped that allies could unite to counter China. He claimed that alliance relations are crucial in responding to China's increasingly "aggressive" global economic, diplomatic, and military influence. He added that he believed the Trump administration was "trying to correct the mistakes."

In Burns' view, there is a common misperception among both parties in the United States that China lacks innovation capabilities and can only "imitate and steal" intellectual property from the United States. "But those days are gone, China has grown into a worthy opponent."

"Trump made a fundamental mistake"

When asked about his views on Trump's tariff policy and China policy, Burns said: "This is not a good start. I think the fundamental mistake is that when we impose tariffs on China, we also impose high tariffs on South Korea, Japan, the European Union, Canada, and Mexico."

Burns then said that for the United States, the alliance relationship with allies should be a "bargaining chip" in trade negotiations with China, but Trump indiscriminately wielded the tariff stick, causing the United States to "lose its natural allies" in the tariff war with China. He claimed that if Trump had focused on China on April 2, the so-called "Liberation Day," things would have been easier.

"This is a huge mistake, but I think the government is now trying to make up for it," Burns said.

Although Burns had some criticisms of Trump's specific policies, he supported taxing China. He ignored the facts that the Trump administration bullied the world and disrupted global trade, attempting to smear China, and said that he "understood the necessity of the United States formulating a sufficiently tough strategy towards China."

On March 3, Burns accepted the interview with Politico, American media.

Meanwhile, Burns believed that in the tariff war initiated by Trump between China and the United States, "there will be no obvious winner."

He did not agree with the argument of Trump administration officials that "China will yield," emphasizing that "China no longer feels inferior, considering itself a peer-level competitor with the United States, and they are determined not to lose this war."

"China believes that it is on par with the United States in terms of economic, technological, and military strength," Burns reiterated. "China will never humiliate or threaten itself, let alone become a loser in the trade war with the United States. If we impose a 145% tariff on China, they will retaliate, which they actually did."

Nevertheless, Burns still believed that the two countries would eventually reach a trade agreement, but "it will take months of negotiation."

Regarding the issue of tariffs, the Chinese side has repeatedly stated its position. Deputy Director of the Asian Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Liang Jianjun, previously pointed out that China does not harbor illusions about the United States and does not expect to resolve all issues through one negotiation. The new US administration is unpredictable, and China will "listen to their words and observe their actions." We have enough patience and determination, as well as sufficient resources and means, and will not waver on fundamental principles or retreat on core interests.

"China has grown into a worthy opponent"

Regarding the long-term prospects of Sino-US relations, Burns said that China is seeking stability in its relationship with the United States, but he believed that regardless of who occupies the White House in the next 10 years, whether Republican or Democrat, Sino-US relations will not change much.

"We are the two largest economies and the only two countries with truly global influence, but we have completely different political ideologies, and are direct competitors in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, cyber, and space," Burns said. "The United States and China have already陷入a 'structural competition,' and what the United States needs to do is acknowledge this and gain an advantageous position strategically, economically, and militarily."

Burns said that regarding Sino-US relations, what he fears most is not a deliberate military conflict, but an accidental one. He said that the United States must coexist peacefully with China, maintain cooperation and communication, thereby reducing the possibility of conflict, "war would be a disaster."

When asked what the most serious misunderstanding of the United States towards China is, Burns replied: "There is a traditional view held by both parties that mistakenly believes that China lacks innovation capabilities and can only imitate and steal intellectual property and commercial product designs from the United States. But those days are gone."

"I believe that Americans—the US government and both parties—need to understand that China is a worthy competitor," Burns told Politico. "Their number of technology talents is astonishing. In certain fields, their academic level, number of patents, and research level are comparable to, or even surpass ours... They have been doing this continuously for decades, thus gaining this advantage."

He mentioned that based on his three years of work experience in China, China is striving forward, but American society and even the media have not fully understood this, i.e., "people's traditional views of China are outdated."

In the interview, Burns criticized the Trump administration's measures against the US Agency for International Development and its affiliated media, calling it a "disastrous error" for the United States. He claimed that China would only be happy about the United States weakening its own influence.

Burns insisted that Sino-US relations should maintain civilian exchanges and opposed the Trump administration's threat to close the door to Chinese students.

On May 28 local time, US Secretary of State Rubio posted on the X platform claiming that the United States would begin revoking visas for Chinese students, including those "with ties to the Chinese government or studying in key fields." On the same day, the US Department of State website issued a statement announcing that visa standards would also be revised to strengthen the review of all future visa applications from mainland China and Hong Kong.

Regarding this, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded at the time, pointing out that the US unreasonably canceled visas for Chinese students under the pretext of ideology and national security, seriously harming the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and disrupting normal cultural exchanges between the two countries. China firmly opposes this and has lodged representations with the US side.

"This politically discriminatory practice by the US side exposes the lie of America's so-called 'freedom and openness,' and will further damage the US's image, international reputation, and credibility," Mao Ning emphasized.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512725765914526242/

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