SINGAPORE, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing said on Saturday that China and the United States should do proper "addition and subtraction" in bilateral relationship, and expand pragmatic cooperation to uphold peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
Li made the remarks in his keynote speech at the Singapore Forum under the theme "New Model of Great Powers Relations: What it means for Asia?"
The relationship between China and the United States is different from the Soviet-U.S. relations during the Cold War, he said, adding that the two countries share vast common interests which are the corner stones of China-U.S. ties.
With regard to the South China Sea issue, Li noted that the South China Sea is not an issue between China and the United States but now it has become a major issue in their bilateral relations.
"This is because the United States is not adapted to the development of China and that is a typical Cold War and hegemony mentality," he said.
The United States has repeatedly criticized China for the land reclamation in the South China Sea, and has been instigating other countries to put pressure on China, Li said, stressing that it is completely legal for China to conduct construction on its own islands and reefs.
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