TMTPost -- The leadership of the world』s two largest economies are working to improve communications and stabilize ties.
Credit：Xinhua News Agency
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing on Thursday, the last day of the U.S. President Joe Biden』s top advisor』s two-day trip in China. The No. 1 issue for China and the United States』 engagement with each other is to develop a right strategic perception, and they need to first and foremost find a good answer to the overarching question: Are China and the United States rivals or partners, Xi stressed, per Xinhua News Agency.
While great changes have taken place in the two countries and in China-U.S. relations, China's commitment to the goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged, its principle in handling the relationship based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation remains unchanged, its position of firmly safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged, and its efforts to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American people remain unchanged, Xi told Sullivan.
Xi expressed the hope that the United States will work in the same direction with China, view China and its development in a positive and rational light, see each other's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge, work with China to find a right way for China and the United States to coexist in peace and achieve common development on this planet, and work to maintain the stability of China-U.S. relations and, on that basis, improve and take forward the relationship.
Sullivan reiterated that the United States does not seek a new Cold War, it does not seek to change China's system, the revitalization of U.S. alliances is not against China, the United States does not support "Taiwan independence," and it does not seek conflict with China, according to Xinhua. The U.S. hopes to maintain strategic communication with China and find a way for the United States and China to coexist in peace and for U.S.-China relations to develop in a sustainable way, said Sullivan , adding that President Biden looks forward to having communication again with President Xi soon.
Sullivan and President Xi discussed further implementation of the commitments Xi and President Biden made at the November 2023 Woodside Summit, including on counternarcotics, military-to-military communications, and AI safety and risk, according to a statement of the White House Thursday. They also discussed cross-Strait issues, Russia』s war against Ukraine, and the South China Sea. Both sides welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication, including planning for a call between President Biden and President Xi in the coming weeks, per the statement. The White House said Wednesday that Biden and Xi are planning to speak by phone in 「coming weeks」 . In a press at the end of his trip, Sullivan indicated to reporters that the leaders would likely meet in person later this year on the sidelines of a multilateral conference.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held six sessions of strategic communication with Sullivan, totaling more than 11 hours, and discussed the China-U.S. relations, sensitive issues and major international and regional hotspots, said Director General Yang Tao of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China a media briefing on Sullivan』s trip to China, the first visit to China by a national security advisor to the U.S. President after eight years. Both sides believe that this round of communication is candid, substantive and constructive, Yang said.
Replying to questions related to economic, trade and technological issues, Yang said that the so-called "small yard with high fences" of the United States has kept expanding and become limitless. The so-called "national security" has become a basket in which anything can be put and the narrative of so-called "overcapacity" is but another excuse for protectionism, Yang said. He stressed the United States should know that it is impossible for China to permanently stay at the medium and low end of the industrial chain, and China has the capability, the need and the right to climb up toward the medium and high end. The U.S. should also know that China-U.S. economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial in nature, and suppressing China』s economic and technological advancement hurts itself as well as others, and will not succeed, Yang stated.
Sullivan said in the press conference Thursday that he had discussed the impact such issues have on Western businesses and supply chains. 「We had a vigorous give and take on the issue, obviously didn』t come to agreement,」 Sullivan told reporters.