China reacts unenthusiastically to Yellen's olive branch for talks

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks on the US-China economic relationship at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, April 20, 2023, in Washington. [VOA]

China on Friday did not reciprocate U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's appeal for the world's two biggest economies to resume official communications. In a speech detailing the Biden administration's economic priorities on China a day earlier, Yellen said the U.S. seeks constructive and fair economic ties with China without compromising its national security.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded by accusing the U.S. of now using technology and trade issues between the two economies as a tool and weapon "in the name of national security."