US urged to get its China policy right
The world needs cooperation between the two powers, Xi says in talks with Biden
The issue of China and the United States properly handling their ties has a bearing on the world’s future and destiny, and both countries must provide a good answer to the “question of the century”, said President Xi Jinping.
Xi made the comment when speaking on the phone with US President Joe Biden on Sept 10, the second such conversation between the two leaders since Biden took office in January.
On behalf of the world’s top two economies, Xi and Biden conducted candid, in-depth and extensive strategic communication and exchanges on China-US ties and issues of common concern.
Xi pointed out that the US’ China policy has led bilateral ties to serious difficulties, which is not in line with the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries and common global interests.
Getting the relationship right is not optional, but something both countries must do and must do well, he said.
Since the two countries broke the ice in their relationship in 1971, China and the US have worked together to bring tangible benefits to all countries, Xi said, adding that the two countries, as well as the whole world, will benefit from China-US cooperation and will suffer from confrontation.
Speaking about opportunities for improvement of ties, Xi quoted a classic ancient Chinese poem: “Mountains and rivers may block the way, yet another village will appear amidst willow trees and blooming flowers.”
As the world is faced with many common problems, Xi said China and the US should have a broad vision and a great sense of duty, and keep looking ahead and moving forward.
The two countries should display strategic courage and political resolve and return their relationship back to the track of stable development as soon as possible, he added.
Engagement and dialogue can continue on the basis of respecting each other’s core concerns and properly managing differences, Xi said, calling for coordination and cooperation.
The collaboration may cover climate change, COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, economic recovery and major international and regional issues, he said.
Biden said the world is changing fast, the US-China relationship is the most consequential relationship in the world, and the future of most of the planet will depend on how the US and China get on with each other.
The two countries have no interest in letting competition veer into conflict, and the US side has no intention of changing its one-China policy, Biden said.
The US is prepared to have more candid exchanges and constructive discussions with China to identify key and priority areas where cooperation is possible, avoid miscommunication, miscalculation and unintended conflict, and get US-China relations back on track, he said.
The White House said in a statement that during the 90-minute call made at the request of the US side, the two leaders “discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict”.
Following the Xi-Biden conversation, experts said top-level engagement between Washington and Beijing is essential for the world’s two largest economies to resolve the impasse over bilateral relations.
Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department of American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said the talks were much needed.
“Prior to the leaders’ talks, China has several times warned the US over the damage it was doing to the relationship, but Washington did not take heed of these warnings and took steps to undermine the ties over and over again,” Su said.
The Sept 10 phone conversation covered a wide range of topics, but bilateral ties will not improve unless the US breaks from its recent pattern of behavior and corrects its mistakes, Su said.
Douglas Paal, distinguished fellow of the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, “I am hoping that someone on the US side realized that recent high-level interactions were going nowhere... and it was time to get the top leaders engaged.”
Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, said the phone call is “the best event” in a long time, which could signal a gradual de-escalation of tension.
Diao Daming, an associate professor of US studies at Renmin University of China, noted that Washington has recently sought China’s cooperation on a number of issues at various levels.
Beijing is willing to coordinate with Washington on many fronts, but Washington should meet basic requirements, such as mutual respect, justice and mutual benefits, Diao said.
“It’s essential that the two leaders speak often and use their long personal relationship to resolve commercial and other disputes,” said Douglas Barry, senior director of communications and publications at the USChina Business Council.
“The current impasse will not be resolved without their involvement,” Barry said. “That said, there needs to be engagement at many technical levels and more participation of the business communities,” he added.
At the start of the Sept 10 talks, Xi expressed sympathy to Biden and the American people over the casualties and property losses caused by Hurricane Ida, and Biden expressed his appreciation.
During the phone call, the two sides agreed that in-depth communication between the two heads of state on China-US relations and major international issues is very important in order to steer bilateral ties in the right direction.
Both sides agreed to maintain frequent contact by multiple means and instruct officials at the working level to intensify their activities, and conduct extensive dialogue and create conditions for the further development of China-US relations.