On May 5, 2026, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng gave an exclusive interview to Senior Foreign Policy Writer Tom O’Connor from Newsweek on U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China and China-U.S. relations.

Tom O’Connor asked: Many Democrats and Republicans alike believe the China-US relationship is essentially defined by competition. While competition is viewed by many here in the US as a vehicle for progress, there have been real concerns about the ability of the two nations properly managing this competition in order to avoid confrontation. What’s your take on this?

Ambassador Xie said that China and the U.S. indeed have competition in areas such as economy and trade. We never shy away from this. Meanwhile, we believe that in competition, the playing field should be level, and the rules should be observed. One should not apply double standards, for example, extolling “free trade” when they are competitive yet stressing “fair trade” when outcompeted. Still less should one seek an unfair advantage by imposing restrictions on others or tying their hands. Since World War II, the international community has established a number of rules, systems, and mechanisms in trade and other sectors, which have proven effective. They form the foundation for the stability and sustained growth of the global economy, and ensure that the interests of all countries are accommodated in a balanced manner. No country should put itself above everyone else and apply the rules selectively. Otherwise, human society could risk slipping back into a jungle.

Ambassador Xie pointed out that ultimately competition should not be a zero-sum boxing match, but a track-and-field race toward mutual excellence. Ambassador Xie recalled that last month, he made a trip to the State of Indiana, during which he visited a renowned American enterprise that entered the Chinese market as early as in the 1970s. At the start, with absolute advantage in the Chinese market and basically no competitor, the company could make money almost effortlessly. In recent years, though, its Chinese peers are rapidly rising, producing highly competitive products. But instead of exiting the market under pressure, the company has chosen to confront the challenge head-on, think outside the box, and set up its second-largest R&D center in China. In this way, it is able to collaborate with its Chinese partners, and combine its strength in technological innovation with China’s huge market, fully-fledged industrial chains, and deep pool of tech talent. The choice has proven wise. It has enabled the company not only to achieve 10% revenue growth in China while its U.S. revenue fell 40% last year, but also to expand its business to other developing countries and sell its products globally with its Chinese partners serving as a bridge. Therefore, it has achieved a “1+1>2” effect, serving China, the U.S. and the world with its presence in China, and also providing quality products and efficient services to global consumers at affordable prices, thus finding a new pathway in which both China and the U.S. win, and the world as a whole benefits. Ambassador Xie called on China and the U.S. to compete to offer more public goods to the world, to better help developing nations reduce and eliminate poverty, and to contribute more to the sustained and inclusive development of the global economy. This is the kind of competition all parties wish to see.