Harris vows open lines with Xi
U.S. vice president speaks with China leader at Asia forum
BANGKOK — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke briefly Saturday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in another step toward keeping lines of communication open between the world’s two biggest economies.
While heading into a private meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum’s summit in Bangkok, Harris and Xi exchanged words.
“I greeted President Xi before the APEC Leaders Retreat,” Harris wrote on Twitter. “I noted a key message that President [Joe] Biden emphasized in his November 14 meeting with President Xi: we must maintain open lines of communication to responsibly manage the compe- tition between our countries.”
A brief statement from China’s Foreign Ministry also referenced the Biden-Xi meeting at the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, which it described as “strategic and constructive” with “major significance in guiding the next stage of China-US relations.” It said it hoped the vice president will play an active role in working with China to help the two nations’ relations “return to a healthy and stable track.”
Relations between Washington and Beijing have suffered frictions over trade and technology, China’s claims to the separately governed island of Taiwan, the pandemic and China’s handling of Hong Kong, human rights and other issues.
Harris later took part in a handover ceremony in which Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha handed over chairmanship of APEC to the United States.
She told the leaders present for the ceremony that the United States would continue to focus APEC on sustainable economic growth, building on the strong foundation Thailand set this year with new sustainability goals.
She also touted her home state, California, saying “there is no better place to host APEC 2023 than California — a state known for economic innovation.”
“Our host year will demonstrate the enduring economic commitment of the United States to the Indo-Pacific,” Harris said.
“As I have made clear throughout my time in Bangkok: under our administration, the United States is a strong partner for the economies and companies of the Indo-Pacific. And we are working to strengthen our economic relationships throughout the region, including by increasing two-way trade flows and the free flow of capital, which supports millions of American jobs.”
Washington seeks to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. Many Asian countries began questioning the American commitment to Asia after former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
The Biden administration has been seeking to regain trust and take advantage of growing questions over strings attached to Chinese regional infrastructure investments that critics have dubbed Beijing’s “debt trap” diplomacy.
After the APEC meeting, Harris also met with Prayut. Details of their talk were not immediately available, but they had been expected to cover global and regional issues.
In addition to economic issues, the two were also expected to talk about the close and long-term security alliance between Thailand and the United States.
Earlier, Harris announced a spree of initiatives to extend bilateral cooperation on climate change and economic growth, as well as to tackle drug trafficking and cybercrime in the Southeast Asia region.
Harris launched a series of partnerships with Thailand aimed at driving down emissions, advancing clean energy goals and promoting sustainable development, among other matters.
Biden and Harris have also highlighted Washington’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, launched earlier this year.