BEIJING, December 19. /TASS/. Beijing is determined to foster cooperation with Washington on the basis of mutual respect, but will firmly defend its interests, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said in response to a TASS request to comment on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's interview with Foreign Affairs magazine.

"China has always viewed and developed Sino-American relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutually beneficial cooperation; at the same time, we resolutely protect our sovereignty, security, and development interests," he said. According to him, a new Cold War cannot be won, and attempts to contain China are unwise and unacceptable; it "will not succeed".

Lin Jian noted that the Taiwan issue is strictly an internal affair of China "and does not tolerate any external interference".