Spokesperson: WSJ report on China pushing for high-level meeting with US 'untrue'

The Chinese embassy in the United States said on Friday a Wall Street Journal article claiming China is pushing for a high-level meeting with the US was "false". The embassy asked the US media outlet to respect the facts and report responsibly.

The Journal, without specifying the names of its sources, reported on its website on Friday that China is seeking a high-level meeting to ease tension with the United States, and that Ambassador Cui Tiankai has suggested through letters China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, visiting the US.

Yang is a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs.

"This is not true. The Chinese side did not write any letters as mentioned in the report," a spokesperson of the embassy said on Friday when asked to confirm the news.

"It is hoped that the media outlet carrying this report will respect the facts and cover China-US relations in an objective and responsible way," the spokesperson said in a statement.

It noted that a sound China-US relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and meets the general expectation of the international community.

"It is hoped that the US side will work with the Chinese side to meet each other halfway, uphold the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, focus on cooperation, manage differences, and achieve the sound and stable development of their bilateral relations," said the spokesperson.