During his visit to Germany this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has repeatedly attacked the Chinese political system and deliberately rendered the so-called “China threat.” He separated the Chinese people and the Communist Party of China in an attempt to provoke dissension between the people and the party, which totally exposed his ideological bias, the Cold War mentality and zero-sum thinking.

In fact, it’s under the leadership of the CPC that the Chinese nation has gradually escaped the poverty and weakness from modern times and embarked on the road to great revival.

Only people have the final say on whether their country’s development road is appropriate. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Up to now, more than 800 million people have successfully escaped poverty, which has contributed to more than 70 percent of global poverty reduction. Nearly 1.4 billion Chinese people have unprecedented cohesion and patriotism to the country.

The CPC has always represented and firmly safeguarded the interest of Chinese people and has always been highly trusted and supported by the people. It is widely acknowledged by any fair-minded person in the world. Pompeo’s attempt to separate the Chinese people and the CPC is a provocation against the entire Chinese people, which is doomed to fail.

Part of Pompeo’s agenda in Germany is for the commemorative event remembering the fall of the Berlin Wall. People usually use that occasion to learn a lesson from the past and avoid making the same mistake again, but unfortunately Pompeo’s words lack such a sense of reflection and uphold an incorrect perception of the world’s development after the end of the Cold War.

Economic globalization and multilateralism are evolving into a deeper level and the trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation is gaining stronger momentum. It’s sad to see the resurgence of a Cold War mindset which may trigger severe consequences.

China-US ties are considered to be one of the most significant bilateral ties in the world. The relationship and the global situation have experienced ups and downs since two countries agreed to establish diplomatic relations 40 years ago. However, one thing has never changed for China and the US: only cooperation yields mutual benefits while confrontation hurts both sides.

This reality is more visible at the ongoing second China International Import Expo in Shanghai. US firms rank first in the area of exhibition booths and American business leaders show optimism and confidence on the prospect of China’s economy.

China and the US are standing at a crucial point. The world is craving for actions to dismantle the walls that block the movement of economic globalization. Pompeo’s words, on the contrary, attempt to erect a wall built with ideologic prejudice, a Cold-War mindset and zero-sum thinking, which is going nowhere.

When making decisions that may impact the world, it’s essential for policymakers to look back into history which will explain how we got here and shed a light on the future.

(Compiled by Chen Lidan and Bao Han)