Xi meets Biden in Lima

LIMA | Xinhua | Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday met with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru.

Noting that he was pleased to meet with Biden again, Xi said China-U.S. relations over the past four years have gone through ups and downs, but under the joint stewardship of the two presidents, the two sides have also been engaged in fruitful dialogue and cooperation and their relationship has remained stable on the whole.

Xi said that the trajectory of China-U.S. relations has proved the validity of these experiences and inspirations from the past 45 years of diplomatic ties.

When the two countries treat each other as partner and friend, seek common ground while shelving differences and help each other succeed, their relationship would make considerable progress. But if they take each other as rival or adversary, pursue vicious competition and seek to hurt each other, they would roil the relationship or even set it back, he added.

Noting that humanity is faced with unprecedented challenges in this turbulent world suffering from frequent conflicts where old problems are compounded by new ones, Xi said major-country competition should not be the underlying logic of the times; only solidarity and cooperation can help humanity overcome current difficulties.

In an age of a new round of flourishing sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation, neither decoupling nor supply-chain disruption is the solution; only mutually beneficial cooperation can lead to common development, said Xi, noting that “small yard, high fences” is not what a major country should pursue; only openness and sharing can advance the well-being of humanity.

As two major countries, China and the United States should bear in mind the interests of the whole world, and inject more certainty and positive energy into the turbulent world, he added.

Xi underscored his consistent belief that a stable China-U.S. relationship, which is the world’s most important bilateral relationship, is critical not only to the interests of the Chinese and American peoples but also to the future and destiny of the entire humanity.

The two sides should bear in mind the well-being of the two peoples and the common interests of the international community, make the wise choice, keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other, and realize the long-term, peaceful coexistence on this planet, he added.

Xi noted the recent U.S. election, and stressed that China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged.

He said that China’s commitment to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as principles for handling China-U.S. relations remains unchanged.

China’s position of resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged, and its desire to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American peoples remains unchanged, he added.

The Chinese president said that China is ready to work with the U.S. government to maintain dialogue, expand cooperation and manage differences, so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-U.S. relationship for the benefit of the two peoples. ■