Biden and Xi shake hands. Photo: AP News.
According to the Chinese president, Beijing and Washington “should have a correct vision of the internal and external policies of the other party and its strategic intentions, and establish a tone of dialogue instead of confrontation.”
The Taiwan issue is at the core of China’s interests, the political foundation of Sino–US relations, and “the first red line” that must not be crossed in Beijing–Washington relations, said Xi Jinping on Monday, during a meeting with his US counterpart, Joe Biden, prior to the G20 summit, which will take place on November 15 and 16 on the Indonesian island of Bali.
The Taiwan question
According to an official statement, Xi systematically explained the origins of the Taiwan issue and the position of the One China principle: “The resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese themselves and it is China’s internal matter. The common wish of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation is to safeguard the unity and territorial integrity of their motherland. Anyone who wants to separate Taiwan from China is against China’s national righteousness, and the Chinese people will never accept it.”
Beijing “expects and remains committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but ‘Taiwan independence’ is incompatible with peace and stability” in the region, explained the statement.
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The world expects China and the US to address their relations properly
In addition, Xi pointed out that at present, the state of China–US relations does not meet the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples.
He stated that relations between the two nations “must not be a zero-sum game where you lose and I win,” because, in the end, “the wide Earth can accommodate the common development and prosperity of the United States and China… Both sides should have a correct view of each other’s internal and external policies and strategic intentions, and set a tone of dialogue rather than confrontation.”
China “has never intended to change the existing international order,” the statement continues, “does not intervene in the internal affairs of the United States, and has no intention of challenging or substituting” Washington; therefore, the parties “must adhere to respect mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
The statement emphasized that the leaders of the two great countries must set the right course for relations between Washington and Beijing.
According to Xi, a state leader must think and know where to take his country, as well as think and know how to get along with other countries and the world in general.
“We must work with all countries to bring more hope to world peace, greater confidence in global stability and greater momentum for common development,” the statement continued. “As always, I am ready to have a sincere and in-depth exchange of views with you [the US authorities ] on issues of strategic importance in China–US relations and on major global and regional issues.”
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Beijing expects the US and NATO to maintain dialogue with Russia
It should be noted that the leaders also exchanged views on the conflict in Ukraine. For his part, Xi pointed out that Beijing is very concerned about the current situation: “in the face of a crisis as global and difficult as the Ukrainian one, there are several points that deserve to be seriously considered: first, there is no winner in a conflict and a war; second, there is no simple solution to a complex problem; and third, confrontation between the great powers must be avoided.”
“China has always been on the side of peace and will continue to urge peace and negotiation, support and look forward to the revival of the Russia–Ukraine peace talks, and hope that the US, NATO, and the EU will maintain a comprehensive dialogue with Russia,” Xi concluded.
Meanwhile, according to the White House’s version of events, Biden told his Chinese counterpart that the US “will continue to compete vigorously with China, but this competition must not be diverted into conflict.” Biden said that both countries should work together to address transnational challenges such as climate change, global macroeconomic stability including debt relief, health security, and global food security.
In addition, the US president returned to his usual rhetoric, stating that Washington’s position on the One China principle has not changed. “The US opposes any unilateral change to the status quo by any of the parties, and the world has an interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Biden said.
(RT)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KW/SL
