Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Lima, Peru, on Saturday local time. Both said their meeting was candid, profound and constructive, and expressed their willingness to stay in contact.
The two presidents spoke positively about the important role of China-U.S. strategic communication, regular contact between the respective diplomatic and security teams, and dialogue mechanisms on mil-to-mil relations, economic and trade ties, and financial issues.
They reiterated the seven-point common understandings on the guiding principles for China-U.S. relations, namely treating each other with respect, finding a way to live alongside each other peacefully, maintaining open lines of communication, preventing conflict, upholding the United Nations Charter, cooperating in areas of shared interest and responsibly managing competitive aspects of the relationship.
The two sides are ready to uphold these principles, continue to stabilize China-U.S. relations and ensure a smooth transition of the relationship, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Political foundation and four red lines
It is important not to challenge China’s red lines and paramount principles, Xi said, adding that contradictions and differences between two major countries like China and the United States are unavoidable. But one side should not undermine the core interests of the other, let alone seek conflict or confrontation, he added.
The one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués are the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and must be observed, Xi continued, noting that the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China’s path and system, and China’s development right are four red lines for China. They must not be challenged and these are the most important guardrails and safety nets for China-U.S. relations, he stressed.
China’s four ‘unchanged’ points
Xi told Biden that China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged. He said China’s commitment to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as principles for handling China-U.S. relations also remains unchanged.
China’s position of resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged, he added, as does its desire to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.
China is ready to engage in dialogue, expand cooperation and manage differences with the United States to sustain the hard-won momentum toward stability in China-U.S. relations, Xi said.
Experts: Meeting reflects China’s consistency
The approach taken by China at the meeting reflects the country’s consistent stance toward its relationship with the United States, experts told CGTN.
“China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged. President Xi and Biden’s meeting shows that we have not given up on this effort,” said Gao Fei, vice president of China Foreign Affairs University.
Gao noted that “the meeting also sends the same signal to the U.S. government that no matter how the U.S. government changes, China’s general direction of promoting mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation with the United States will not change.”
“The meeting between the leaders of China and the United States, as well as Biden’s ensuring of the stability of China-U.S. relations during the transition period, is very critical,” Zhou Wenxing, associate professor of international politics at the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, said.
“The meeting conveyed to the world the prospects of stability in the development of China-U.S. relations, which is the most important bilateral relationship in the world today, and has somewhat alleviated the anxiety of countries around the world about the current situation and future development,” Zhou added.
