Chinese Communist Party President Xi Jinping and then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at a banquet in Washington, Sept. 25, 2015.
Xi spoke with Biden by phone on Feb. 11, the traditional Chinese New Year‘s Eve. It was reported by a Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece only after the White House issued its communication, but the text mostly consisted of Xi’s emphasis on Biden, including cooperation, contacts and the re-establishment of various dialogue mechanisms between the two sides. On the sensitive issues of Taiwan and Hong Kong, Xi and Biden each had their own words.
According to Xinhua, Xi said in the call between the two sides that one of the most important events in international relations in the past half century or so was the restoration and development of Sino-US relations …… China and the United States together will benefit both sides, while fighting will hurt both, and cooperation is the only correct choice for both sides. China-US cooperation can do many great things for the benefit of the two countries and the world, China-US confrontation is certainly a disaster for the two countries and the world.
Xi stressed that at present, China-US relations are at an important juncture. “As you said, the greatest characteristic of the United States is possibility. I hope this possibility is now moving in a direction conducive to the improvement of relations between the two countries. The two countries should work together, move in the same direction, uphold the spirit of non-conflict and non-confrontation …… and focus on cooperation.”
He said the diplomatic departments of the two countries can communicate in depth on a wide range of issues in bilateral relations as well as major international and regional issues, and the economic, financial, law enforcement and military departments of the two countries can also have more contacts. China and the United States should re-establish various dialogue mechanisms.
Xi also stressed that China and the United States should follow the world trend and work together to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
In response to sensitive issues, Xi said Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang are China’s internal affairs and concern China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the U.S. should respect China’s core interests and act with caution.
Biden said the U.S. and China should avoid conflict and can cooperate in a wide range of areas, including climate change, the report said. The U.S. side is willing to engage in frank and constructive dialogue with China in a spirit of mutual respect to enhance mutual understanding and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations.
This is Biden’s first call with Xi since taking office. Biden has been on the phone with Canada, Britain, France, Japan, South Korea and other heads of state since he took office, but the U.S. and China did not formally contact each other at the highest level until the 11th.
A White House release said Biden stressed “his fundamental concern about Beijing‘s coercive and unfair economic practices, its crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, its human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and its increasingly assertive actions (in the Indo-Pacific region), including toward Taiwan.”
But at the same Time, Biden said, “Pragmatic, results-oriented engagement (with China) will be pursued when it is in the interests of the American people and our allies.”
In addition to the communication released by the White House, Biden also tweeted the contents of his conversation with Xi Jinping. Biden wrote, “I spoke with President Xi today to congratulate him and the Chinese people on the Lunar New Year, and I also expressed my concerns about Beijing’s economic tactics, human rights abuses and coercion against Taiwan. I told him that I am willing to work with China as long as it benefits the American people.”
On Feb. 6, the highest-ranking Chinese and U.S. diplomatic officials spoke for the first time, though none of the two statements from the same call had the same content.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Yang Jiechi, Secretary General of the Foreign Affairs Working Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and both statements addressed five topics covering: human rights in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong; the military coup in Burma; security in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region; the international system order; and developments in U.S.-China relations. But both sides are talking about their own issues, with no consensus anywhere.
Biden said in an interview with CBS last week about Xi Jinping that Xi is smart and strong, but has no sense of democracy in his bones, “I’m not trying to criticize him, I’m just stating a fact.
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