China Embassy refutes report it’s seeking meeting with the US

Both China and the US should focus on cooperation and manage their disputes in order to facilitate healthy and stable relations, according to the statement.

The Chinese embassy in the United States on Saturday refuted a Wall Street Journal report that said Beijing was pushing for a high-level meeting to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2020, file photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his speech at the commemorating conference on the 70th anniversary of the Chinese army entering North Korea to resist the U.S. army, at the Great Hall fo the People in Beijing. Xi is asking former CEO Howard Schultz of Starbucks to help repair U.S.-Chinese relations that have plunged to their lowest level in decades amid a tariff war and tension over technology and security. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) (AP)

China has discussed a proposal to send Politburo member Yang Jiechi to Washington, and Ambassador Cui Tiankai suggested the idea in letters to US officials and through conversations with intermediaries, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

“This report is not true to facts. The Chinese side never wrote such letters,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement posted on its website Saturday that cited an unnamed spokesperson. “We hope the media concerned respect the facts and report on Sino-US relations in an objective and responsible manner.”

Both China and the US should focus on cooperation and manage their disputes in order to facilitate healthy and stable relations, according to the statement.