Donald Trump isn’t getting under China’s skin despite his steady stream of criticism aimed at the country.
Asked about the Republican presidential candidate’s repeated verbal attacks on Beijing in a news conference Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the nation is focused more on what the official government says.
“Everyone has the right to air his or her personal opinion, but it is the policies towards China adopted by the U.S. government and the mainstream opinion of the U.S. people that we value more,” spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
Hua also downplayed any impact Trump’s attitude toward China could have on the U.S.-Sino relationship, brushing it off as “disturbances.”
“Decades of development of China-U.S. relations proves that despite various voices and disturbances that may occur from time to time, bilateral relations keep moving forward,” Hua said.
She said that China was looking forward to President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Washington this month to meet with President Barack Obama, and that they hoped for continued bilateral cooperation.
Trump has frequently spoken on the campaign trail about getting tough on China in foreign policy, including putting tariffs on goods produced overseas.
Alongside Mexico, Trump’s speeches almost always mention how the U.S. is losing to China’s leaders who are outsmarting Washington on economic issues.