BEIJING: China sent a top official recently sanctioned by Washington to speak at an American Chamber of Commerce dinner on Thursday in Beijing, according to a recording from the event heard by Reuters, as bilateral relations remain deeply strained.
The Chinese official, Wang Chen, was among 14 lawmakers sanctioned by the US on Monday over Beijing’s disqualification last month of elected opposition legislators in Hong Kong.
On Thursday, hours before the dinner, China announced reciprocal sanctions on US officials, members of Congress, personnel at non-government organisations and their family members.
China is also revoking visa exemption treatment for US diplomats visiting Hong Kong and Macau.
Wang is a member of the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo, an elite grouping of 25 leaders headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He is also a vice-chairman of the National People’s Congress standing committee, the permanent body of the country’s rubber stamp parliament, which imposed a national security law for Hong Kong in June.
AmCham, which represents major US businesses in China, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
China’s foreign ministry and the US embassy in Beijing also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It is unclear why Wang, whose portfolio is not directly relevant to AmCham, was invited to speak at this event.
The Chinese government representative for last year’s dinner was Hu Chunhua, the vice-premier who oversees commerce.
Speaking at the dinner, Wang made no mention of the US sanctions or China’s reciprocal action, according to a recording heard by Reuters.
Despite bilateral relations widely seen to be at their worst in four decades, Wang reiterated China’s policy towards the US remains “consistent and stable” and that the “fundamental nature” of the relations is still “mutually beneficial and win-win”.
He expressed hopes for the countries to resume dialogue, “return to the normal track” and rebuild trust.
He also urged AmCham to contribute towards stabilising relations between both countries.