China US File Photo:CFP

The meeting between China's top diplomat Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Vienna lasted for more than 10 hours with the two sides having "candid, in-depth, substantive and constructive" exchanges on major topics, including on bilateral relations, the Taiwan question, Asia-Pacific situation, and the Ukraine crisis, the Global Times has learned exclusively from a senior official familiar with the meeting. 

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, met with Sullivan in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday.   

Photo: China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Chinese side emphasized that the Bali meeting between the Chinese and US top leaders was successful and constructive, and pointed out the direction for the development of China-US relations. However, the US side overreacted and abused force in the unmanned civilian airship incident and lessons must be learned from the incident, a senior Chinese official who is familiar with the meeting but asked for anonymity, told the Global Times on Friday. 

During the meeting, the Chinese side also noted that the correct way for China and the US to get along is mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. The overall China-US relationship cannot be simply defined by "competition" and the US cannot ask for communication and dialogue while harming China's interests, according to the senior official. 

The Chinese side noted that what the US should do is to establish a correct understanding of China, prevent strategic misjudgments, abandon the Cold War mentality, stop containment and suppression, stop engaging in zero-sum games, return to rationality and pragmatism, and meet China halfway to promote the stabilization of China-US relations, the source said. 

Wang Yi comprehensively expounded China's solemn position on the Taiwan question, emphasizing that the Taiwan question is the core of China's core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first redline that cannot be crossed, according to the source. 

Wang also noted that the top priority at the moment is that the US should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. 

The US side stated that the US' one-China policy has not changed and does not support "Taiwan independence," "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," according to the source. 

The anonymous senior official also unveiled that China also requires the US to remove unreasonable restrictions and obstruction on China-US people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and to work with China to carry out more exchanges between various sectors of the two countries and enhance mutual understanding between the peoples.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. The Chinese side emphasized that China is not a party to the Ukraine crisis, and has always maintained an objective, fair and calm stance, actively promoting peace talks, and has been urging all parties not to add fuel to the fire. Complying with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be universally applicable without imposing double standards.