Highlights: An interview with China’s vice foreign minister

BEIJING — China’s Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng spoke with The Associated Press on a range of issues from U.S.-China relations to human rights. A group of four or seven or a dozen countries, that is not multilateralism.” He called for “an atmosphere of global cooperation instead of small circles against one another.” The veteran Chinese diplomat acknowledged competition might be inevitable between the U.S. and China, but criticized the U.S. emphasis on confrontation over cooperation: “We feel that this is too negative and lacks a forward-looking spirit.” He said it is regrettable that competing to be tougher on China seems to be the politically correct thing to do in America. “Some people in the U.S. refuse to accept that 1.4 billion Chinese people are entitled to a better life and don’t recognize China has the right to choose its own path of development.” CLIMATE There are calls for China to accelerate its carbon reduction targets, ahead of an April 22-23 climate summit called by Biden. “I don’t think there is anything strange if Hong Kong somehow becomes more like a Chinese city, because after all, Hong Kong is part of China and Hong Kong people are Chinese people,” Le said. “So 20 years later, Hong Kong will see greater stability, become more prosperous and its people will enjoy a happier life.” XINJIANG The divide with the West on human rights in China’s Xinjiang region is stark.