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Xi Jinping instructed Joe Biden that China was ready to work with the brand new administration of President-elect Donald Trump to handle variations within the turbulent relationship in his last 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. In his opening remarks earlier than their personal assembly, Xi stated the US-China relationship had seen “ups and downs” over the previous 4 years however that it has largely remained “stable”.
“China is ready to work with the new US administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation, and manage differences . . . for the benefit of the two peoples,” Xi instructed Biden.
Biden stated the US-China relationship was a very powerful “alliance” on this planet, earlier than correcting himself and saying it was the “most important relationship”.
Repeating certainly one of his inventory phrases, Biden stated: “Our two countries cannot let any of this competition veer into conflict . . . Over the past four years I think we’ve proven it’s possible 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 12 months. Relations have since stabilised, however the superpowers stay at odds over many points.
Following the assembly, US nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan stated the leaders had a “candid” change about cooperation, together with on counter-narcotics, but in addition on areas the place there are vital disagreements reminiscent of China’s assist for Russia’s defence industrial base.
Sullivan stated Biden and Xi had reached an necessary settlement on “the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons” which he stated was the primary time that China had made such a pledge.
“We’ve generated something meaningful today. It is not the end of the line, but it’s the start of something that we hope can be carried forward,” Sullivan stated.
In its readout of the assembly, the Chinese language international ministry stated the 2 leaders had “stressed the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons”.
The assembly comes two months earlier than Trump will return as president. In latest days, he has named folks with powerful stances on China for high positions, together with Florida congressman Mike Waltz for nationwide safety adviser and Florida senator Marco Rubio for secretary of state.
However specialists 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 desires to have work with the US, he stated “major country competition should not be the underlying logic of the times”. 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, high fence” coverage.
“‘Small yard, high fences’ is not what a major country should pursue,” Xi instructed Biden.
Sullivan stated the US export controls had been narrowly focused at high-end applied sciences associated to American nationwide safety considerations, and added that there was “nothing surprising about President Xi raising his concerns”.
The assembly in Lima was their third in individual as leaders and their first since they met in San Francisco a 12 months in the past on the final Apec discussion board.
