By Fortune Abang
China says the outcome of the meeting in San Francisco between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden should help “fulfill our responsibility for human progress.”
The leaders of the world’s two largest economies met on the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting that began on Nov. 14 and will end on Nov. 17.
In a statement by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese president noted that a year has passed since the last meeting between them in Bali, Indonesia.
According to him, a lot has happened since then.
He observed that the world has emerged from the Coronavirus pandemic, but is still under its tremendous impact.
Xi said, “The global economy is recovering, but its momentum remains sluggish; industrial and supply chains are still under threat of interruption; and protectionism is rising.
“All these are grave problems.
“The China-U.S. relationship, which is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, should be perceived and envisioned in the broad context of the accelerating global transformations unseen in a century.
“It should develop in a way that benefits our two peoples and fulfills our responsibility for human progress.”
Xi pointed out that the China-U.S. relationship has never been a smooth sail in the course of the past 50 years and more, saying it always faced problems of one kind or another, yet kept moving forward amid twists and turns.
He said the conflict and confrontation between the two countries had wrought unbearable consequences for both sides.
He further said that major-country competition was not the prevailing trend of current times and that it could not solve the problems facing China and the U.S., or the world at large.
“Planet Earth is big enough for both countries to succeed and one country’s success is an opportunity for the other.
“China and the U.S., are different in history, culture, social-system, and development path.
“However, as long as they respect each other, co-exist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation, we will be fully capable of rising above our differences and find the right way to get along with each other.
“I believe in a promising future of the bilateral relationship.
“China and the U.S. shoulder heavy responsibilities for the two peoples, for the world, and for history,” he added.
The statement quoted Xi as promising to have in-depth exchange of views and reach new understanding with Biden on strategic, over-arching issues critical to the direction of China-U.S. relations, world peace, and development.
For his part, Biden during a news conference in the San Francisco Bay Area on the outcome of the meeting described talks with Xi as some of the most constructive and productive between the two world leaders.
He said the two leaders agreed to be willing to pick up the phone if either wants to talk going forward, curb flow of fentanyl, restore military communication and work closely together on artificial intelligence.
According to him, agreement by China to reduce precursor chemicals for fentanyl would save lives, saying he appreciated Xi’s commitment on the issue.
Biden said, “We haven’t always agreed, but talks with Xi are always straightforward.
“My responsibility is to make this rational and manageable, so it doesn’t result in conflict.
“To find a place where we can come together and where we find mutual interest, and most importantly, in the interest of the American people, this is exactly what we will do.”
Biden expressed areas of concern about China’s actions as they relate to detained U.S. citizens, human rights and coercive activities in the South China Sea in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Biden revealed he provided Xi with the names of those thought to be detained during their meeting, saying “hopefully, we can get them released as well, no agreement on that.”
The two countries have gradually been restoring communications after Beijing cut those ties in August 2022, following a visit from the-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
Biden and Xi agreed to restore high-level military communication and take steps to curb fentanyl production following a meeting between them. (NAN)
