China has initiated a détente amid the worsening friction in the West Philippine Sea with its Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, saying on Friday that China-US cooperation is imperative and is “no longer optional.”

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in Beijing during a reception commemorating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

The US and the Philippines held the second phase of their maritime cooperative activity in the West Philippine Sea, which China matched with a haphazard naval drill by its People’s Liberation Army Navy.

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a recent meeting, emphasized the need to continue to be committed to stabilizing and developing bilateral relations to benefit the two countries and the world.

Wang recalled that over the past 45 years, the two nations had overcome difficulties in their relations and forged ahead, with the scope of their cooperation reaching “unprecedented levels.”

The top Chinese diplomat stressed the importance of peace, cooperation, and win-win engagements when he summarized their bilateral relations.

“Peace is the most fundamental cornerstone of China-US relations,” he said, adding that there being no conflict or confrontation between China and the US is the most important dividend of peace for humanity.

He described cooperation as the correct choice for China and the US to get along.

The world, he said, has witnessed the value of China-US cooperation in a wide range of areas, such as fighting terrorism and responding to global financial crises.

The most essential feature of the China-US exchanges is win-win, he added.

Between both countries are bilateral trade of nearly $760 billion and investments of more than $260 billion, reflecting the two countries’ highly complementary economic structures, deep connection in the global industrial and supply chains, and shared interests in common development, according to Wang.

He branded attempts to “decouple” the two countries as artificial and destined to backfire.

Three-point action plan

Wang revealed three proposals that came out of the Biden-Xi meeting in mid-November last year on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

The first proposal is upholding mutual respect, with the top priority being to establish a correct understanding of each nation.

Wang said China hopes the US will respect the choices made by the Chinese people and China’s development path and recognize China’s core interests, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity in a relationship of equality and inclusiveness.

“We are willing to commit ourselves to building a stable, healthy, and sustainable China-US relationship on the basis of mutual respect,” he said.

Wang said both leaders also called for adhering to peaceful coexistence, adding that the top priority is to manage their differences effectively.

Strong basis for cooperation

Despite different social systems and development paths, the two countries should have the vision and determination to seek common ground while reserving their differences and not let disagreements dominate or interfere with their bilateral relations, Wang said.

He called on both sides to make full use of various mechanisms that have been restored or established, such as diplomacy, economy, finance, commerce, and agriculture, to build bridges of communication and pave the way for cooperation.