China says willing to work with next U.S. Secretary of State

Record ID: 76939

  • Title: China says willing to work with next U.S. Secretary of State
  • Date: 13th December 2016
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (DECEMBER 13, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, GENG SHUANG, WALKING IN FOR REGULAR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, GENG SHUANG, SAYING: "No matter who becomes the U.S. Secretary of State, we are willing to make joint efforts with them to advance China-U.S. relations at this new starting point and make continuous and greater progress. Healthy and stable China-U.S. relations suits the interests of the two countries and their people. We hope the two sides' foreign affairs departments can strengthen communication, deepen cooperation, and play an important and constructive role in promoting the continued stable development of bilateral relations." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 28th December 2016 09:02
  • Keywords: China Beijing Donald Trump U.S. Secretary of State U.S. Presidency
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015CPVTJ9
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: China is willing to work with whoever becomes U.S. Secretary of State, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday (December 13), after a senior transition official told Reuters President-elect Donald Trump will announce Exxon-Mobil Corp's Rex Tillerson as his choice for the position.
    Trump is expected to make the announcement on the appointment on Tuesday morning (December 14), going with a business leader whose experience in diplomacy is from making deals with foreign countries for the world's largest energy company.
    Trump picked Tillerson, 64, after the Texan was backed by several Republican establishment figures including former Secretary of State James Baker, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the transition official said.
    Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China was willing to work with the new secretary of state.
    "No matter who becomes the U.S. Secretary of State, we are willing to make joint efforts with them to advance China-U.S. relations at this new starting point and make continuous and greater progress. Healthy and stable China-U.S. relations suits the interests of the two countries and their people. We hope the two sides' foreign affairs departments can strengthen communication, deepen cooperation, and play and important and constructive role in promoting the continued stable development of bilateral relations," he told journalists at a regular news conference.
    U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has upset China by speaking to the president of self-ruled Taiwan and saying the United States did not necessarily have to be bound by its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of China.
    Taiwan is arguably the most sensitive part of the China-U.S. relationship, and China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island it regards as a renegade province under its control.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register