Xi, Biden talk on strategic issues critical to China-U.S. relations, world | Xinhua News |
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic and overarching issues critical to the direction of China-U.S. relations and on major issues affecting world peace and development.
The meeting was held at Filoli Estate, a country house approximately 40 km south of San Francisco, California. Biden warmly received Xi when he arrived at Filoli Estate.
Noting that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Xi said there are two options for China and the United States -- one is to enhance solidarity and cooperation, join hands to meet global challenges and promote global security and prosperity; and the other is to cling to the zero-sum mentality, provoke rivalry and confrontation, and drive the world toward turmoil and division.
The two choices point to two different directions that will decide the future of humanity and Planet Earth, he said, adding that the China-U.S. relationship, which is the world's most important bilateral relationship, should be perceived and envisioned in this broad context.
For China and the United States, turning their back on each other is not an option, Xi noted, stressing it is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other, and conflict and confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides.
Xi elaborated on the essential features of Chinese modernization and its significance, China's development prospects, and its strategic intention, pointing out that China's development is driven by its inherent logic and dynamics.
Noting China is promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization, Xi stressed that the country will not take the old path of colonization and plundering, or the wrong path of seeking hegemony with growing strength, saying it does not export its ideology, nor have a plan to surpass or unseat the United States. Likewise, the United States should not scheme to suppress and contain China, he added.
The Chinese president pointed out that mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the lessons learned from 50 years of China-U.S. relations and the conflicts between major countries in history, which should be the direction of joint efforts between the two countries.
In San Francisco, China and the United States should assume a new vision and build together five pillars for China-U.S. relations, he noted, pointing out the two countries should jointly develop a right perception.
China is consistently committed to having a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship with the United States, and China has interests that must be safeguarded, principles that must be upheld, and red lines that must not be crossed, Xi said, expressing hope that the two countries could be partners that respect each other and coexist in peace.
China and the United States should manage disagreements effectively, Xi said. Disagreements should not be a chasm that keeps the two countries apart, he stressed, adding that instead, the two sides should look for ways to build bridges to help them walk toward each other.
It is important that they appreciate each other's principles and red lines, and refrain from flip-flopping, being provocative, and crossing the lines, said the Chinese president.
They should have more communication, more dialogues and more consultations, and calmly handle their differences as well as accidents, Xi added.
[...]
China and the United States should lead by example, step up coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues, and provide more public goods for the world, he said.
The two sides should keep their initiatives open to each other, or coordinate and connect them for synergy, to benefit the world, Xi added.
Meanwhile, the Chinese president urged China and the United States to jointly promote people-to-people exchanges. The two sides should increase flights, advance tourism cooperation, expand subnational exchanges, strengthen educational cooperation and cooperation on affairs related to the disabled, reduce negative factors that hinder people-to-people exchanges, and encourage and support greater interactions and communication between their people, so as to consolidate the foundation for the healthy development of China-U.S. relations, Xi said.
Xi also elaborated on China's principled position on the Taiwan question. He pointed out that the Taiwan question remains the most important and most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. China takes seriously the positive statements made by the United States in the Bali meeting, he said, adding that the U.S. side should take real actions to honor its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence," stop arming Taiwan, and support China's peaceful reunification. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable, Xi stressed.
Xi pointed out that U.S. actions against China regarding export control, investment screening and unilateral sanctions seriously undermine China's legitimate interests. Noting that China's development is driven by innovation, he held that stifling China's technological progress is nothing but a move to contain China's high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development.
China's development and growth, driven by its own inherent logic, will not be stopped by external forces, Xi continued, saying that he hoped the U.S. side to take China's concerns seriously and adopt tangible steps to lift its unilateral sanctions, so as to provide an equal, fair and nondiscriminatory environment for Chinese businesses.
Sign of Better Relations: Pandas
Pandas returning to the U.S. | CNBC |
Regarding earlier conversations with Biden, Xi said "we agreed to make the cooperation list longer and the pie of cooperation bigger."
Xi said China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to study in the Asian country over the next five years.
He also said China would send its giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo. He did not specify a time.
Xi says U.S. and China can only be adversaries or partners, with no middle ground | CNBC |
The U.S. and China have to choose between being adversaries or partners, Chinese President Xi Jinping told American business executives late Wednesday.
His remarks contrast with the Biden administration's approach of pursuing strategic competition with Beijing -- restricting exports of advanced U.S. tech to China, while looking for areas of cooperation.
Xi was speaking at a dinner in San Francisco following his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden a few hours earlier, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.
Multilateralism is Out, Bilateral Ties Are In
The High Geopolitical Costs of U.S. Economic Policies
Biden's economic plans risk alienating the Global South when the United States needs them most | CFR |
Biden's economic plans risk alienating the Global South when the United States needs them most.
U.S. President Joe Biden's modern industrial and innovation strategy helped accelerate economic growth in the first half of 2023. As National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan detailed in May, Biden's economic policies are based on the principles of a "new Washington consensus," which aims to rebuild the middle class, mitigate climate change, lessen inequality, and strengthen supply-chain resilience. It also lays the foundation for responding economically to the challenge posed by China.
Although the Biden administration's goals are admirable and worthy, the methods they are using to achieve them, combined with other recent U.S. economic policies, will have high geopolitical costs at a time when the Global South is growing in influence.
Over the past seven years, the United States has paralyzed the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (WTO), levied billions of dollars of tariffs, and declared imports a national security threat. The Biden administration's approach follows that trend by practicing what Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, calls zero-sum economics, proliferating export controls on computer chips and increasing subsidies and local-content rules.
End of the Trump era 1.0
US State Downgrades Diplomatic Status EU Old Strategy of Containment In a New Cold War | 29 Jan. 2022 |
'Encirclement' and 'containment' effectively have become America's default foreign policy - Alastair Crooke
All roads lead through Beijing 🇨🇳 ...
China-US ties need a new guiding strategic framework in competition | OpEd by Global Times |
The 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is being held in San Francisco, US, and will last until November 17. The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines will grab much attention. Sourabh Gupta (Gupta), a senior fellow at the Washington-based Institute for China-America Studies, told Global Times (GT) reporter Qian Jiayin that this meeting is an opportunity for the two leaders to commit to stabilizing ties. The China-US relationship need a new guiding strategic framework to construct a durable architecture of candid but constructive coexistence in this "new normal" era of the China-US strategic competition.
GT: You referred to the upcoming meeting between Chinese and American heads of state during the APEC meeting in San Francisco as a "window of opportunity." What opportunities do you think this APEC meeting will bring for both China and the US?
Gupta: The "window of opportunity" that I refer to is the opportunity for the two leaders to commit to stabilizing ties. At the G20 Bali meeting last November, lines of communication were reestablished and working groups formed across a range of issue areas. Looking ahead, the most important take away from the San Francisco meeting could be the further consolidation of ties and the ability to troubleshoot on short notice any major irritant that might arise in 2024, just as the US enters a raucous election season. If the Republicans carry the White House in November 2024, all this progress can dissipate. But on the other hand, if Biden is reelected, the consensus that was consolidated in Bali and the progress that is made in San Francisco might provide a useful jumping-off point in the mid-2020s for Beijing and Washington to construct a durable architecture of candid but constructive coexistence in this "new normal" era of the China-US strategic competition.
GT: Despite China repeatedly stating that it has no intention to challenge or displace the US, the Biden administration's China policy has consistently viewed China as its biggest competitor, from "decoupling"; and "small yard, high fence"; to "de-risk." Will the series of visits by US officials and the San Francisco summit have an impact on US policy toward China?
Gupta: The Chinese side has indeed sought to provide assurances to the American side that it has no intention to challenge or replace the US in Asia and the world. China does not seek to change the existing international order or interfere in the US' internal affairs. In fairness, Biden has reiterated reassurances too: that the United States does not seek a new cold war; it does not seek to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not directed at China; it does not support "Taiwan independence"; and it does not seek conflict with China. The fundamental problem here is that the two sides just do not believe each other. It is an unfortunate fact, furthermore, that from a structural standpoint, the economic rise of China is no longer seen as an opportunity in Washington, but as an outright threat. In this atmosphere, my fear is that the size of the decoupling-related "yard" will keep on growing even as the "fence" remains just as high.
Earlier writings by Cat ...
Ruble and Yuan
The presidents and delegations from China and the Russian Federation met in Moscow to agree. To what? one may yet wonder, given that G7 censors condemn the matter rather than disclose it. Which is a simple feat. For the Kremlin would apper to be the sole publisher of complete communiqués but for AfterShock.news duplication of documents. "Let's start from the end" (the economy, stupid), the culmination of means and motive, which definitively belie occidental fixation on Ukraine anathema and invidious sanctions against the rest.
Across the globe crisis are in stalemate positions as a power clash has not led to solutions or peace. As the planet burns ...
