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Xi Jinping advised Joe Biden that China was ready to work with the brand new administration of Donald Trump to handle variations in his remaining assembly along with his US counterpart.
The Chinese language and US presidents met on the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation discussion board in Lima on Saturday. The Chinese language embassy in Washington mentioned Xi advised Biden that bilateral ties had seen “ups and downs” over the previous 4 years, however the international locations had “engaged in fruitful dialogue and co-operation” and the connection was “secure on the entire”.
“China is able to work with the US authorities to keep up dialogue, develop co-operation and handle variations . . . for the good thing about the 2 peoples,” Xi advised his US counterpart, in keeping with the Chinese language embassy.
Biden advised Xi that the US-China relationship was a very powerful “alliance”, earlier than correcting himself and saying it was the “most vital relationship”, in keeping with remarks recorded by reporters who had been within the room for the preliminary greetings earlier than the beginning of the summit.
“Our two international locations can not let any of this competitors veer into battle,” Biden mentioned in certainly one of his inventory phrases when assembly Xi. “Over the previous 4 years I feel we’ve confirmed it’s doable to have this relationship.”
Relations between the US and China plummeted over the previous 4 years, reaching their lowest degree in many years when then US Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022 and a Chinese language spy balloon flew over the US final yr. Relations have since stabilised, however the superpowers stay at odds over many points.
The assembly comes two months earlier than Trump will return as president. In latest days, he has named folks with robust stances on China for prime positions, together with Florida congressman Mike Waltz for nationwide safety adviser and Florida senator Marco Rubio for secretary of state.
However consultants are ready to see if Elon Musk — who has turn into near Trump and who produces and sells Tesla automobiles in China — will urge the president to take a softer method in direction of Beijing.
Whereas Xi repeated his mantra that China needs to have work with the US, he mentioned “main nation competitors shouldn’t be the underlying logic of the instances”. He additionally pushed again in opposition to the concept of decoupling and US measures to disclaim China superior semiconductor-related applied sciences in what is understood in Washington because the “small yard, excessive fence” coverage.
“‘Small yard, excessive fences’ just isn’t what a serious nation ought to pursue,” Xi advised Biden.
The assembly in Lima was the primary between the presidents since they held a summit in San Francisco a yr in the past on the final Apec discussion board.
Bonnie Glaser, a China professional on the German Marshall Fund, famous that earlier Chinese language readouts about Xi-Biden conferences included references to personal statements by Biden that included reassurances on various points, together with that the US doesn’t assist Taiwanese independence.
“China’s readout of the leaders’ summit in Peru omitted these statements — certainly there was no point out of something that Biden mentioned to Xi,” mentioned Glaser. “With Biden leaving workplace, the Chinese language know that these reassurances might now not stay US coverage.”
Biden and Xi held bilateral conferences with different Apec leaders forward of their summit on Saturday afternoon, and each males met their Japanese and South Korean counterparts. Xi additionally met his counterparts from New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Chile. Biden met Lin Hsin-I, Taiwan’s consultant to the discussion board, who invited the US president to go to Taiwan.
Within the group {photograph} from the summit taken on Saturday, Xi appeared entrance and centre, whereas Biden stood to the facet. All leaders had been carrying conventional Peruvian vicuña wool scarves, consistent with the custom by which members sport clothes native to the host nation.
