China tells US to ‘reflect deeply’ over downturn in relations

Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang said the US should stop ‘undermining China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests’ (Ng Han Guan/AP)

China’s foreign minister has told the US ambassador that Washington is responsible for the downturn in relations between the two countries and must “reflect deeply” before ties can get back “on the right track”, an official said.

Qin Gang’s comments follow a suspension of serious dialogue on a range of issues between the world’s largest economies, increasingly at odds over tariffs, attempts by Washington to deprive China of cutting-edge technology, and China’s claims to self-governing Taiwan and large parts of the South and East China Seas.