Source:  Global Times    Published: 2024-11-17

By Wang Qi and Zhao Yusha

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday met with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru. The Chinese President said that the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China's path and system, and China's development right are four red lines for China, which must not be challenged or crossed.

Xi told Biden that over the past four years, China-US relations have gone through ups and downs, but the two sides have also been engaged in dialogue and cooperation, adding the relationship has remained stable on the whole, Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Under the stewardship of the two presidents, the two teams have worked out through consultations a number of guiding principles for China-US relations, and the two presidents have jointly brought China-US dialogue and cooperation back on track, Xi said.

This is the third face-to-face meeting between President Xi and President Biden, and all those three meetings were held during the two heads of state attended the multilateral organization summits, according to Yuyuantantian, a social media account affiliated with CCTV. 

 In Lima, President Xi insightfully listed seven experiences and inspirations that the two countries should draw from the course of their relations, namely, to have a correct strategic perception, match words with actions, treat each other as equals, not to challenge red lines and paramount principles, conduct more dialogue and cooperation, respond to the expectations of the people, and step forward to shoulder the responsibilities of major countries, according to an overview released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the meeting.

Noting that the trajectory of China-US relations has proved the validity of these experiences and inspirations from the past 45 years of diplomatic ties, Xi said when the two countries treat each other as partners and seek common ground while shelving differences, their relationship will make considerable progress.

This meeting was held one year after the last time that the two Presidents met. The two sides reviewed the journey of China-US relations over the past four years, and drew experiences and inspirations from it. Their conversation was candid, in-depth and constructive. It focused on advancing dialogue and cooperation and properly managing differences during the transition period of the US government and on regional and international issues of mutual interest, and charted the course for bilateral relations, according to a handout published by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

China is ready to engage in dialogue, expand cooperation, and manage differences with the United States so as to sustain the hard-won momentum toward stability in China-US relations, Xi said.

From China's perspective, the goal of promoting a stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations remains unchanged. This meeting also demonstrates that we have not given up on this effort, Gao Fei, assistant president of China Foreign Affairs University, told Yuyuan Tantian. 

The Xi-Biden meeting attracted attention of the global media. Global Times reporter observed that at least two hours prior to the meeting, there were Chinese, Peruvian and other global media journalists rushing to the streets near the meeting venue, jostling for prime camera positions and gathering material for their reports.

Four red lines

Xi said that contradictions and differences between two major countries like China and the US are unavoidable, but one side should not undermine the core interests of the other, let alone seek conflict or confrontation.

The four red lines clearly and comprehensively express China's principled stance on China-US relation; and it is said to the entire US government, not just a specific administration, said Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 

Lü said that it is hoped that the US will be refrained from leveraging issues concerning China's core interests due to its own internal political infights, as such actions could backlash for the US. 

The path to swiftly achieve political objectives and drive economic growth in the US lies in cooperating with China and stabilizing political relations. Therefore, there remains significant room for China-US cooperation, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times, adding that a stable China-US relation benefits the US, regardless of which party assumes office.

Amid the US' strategic competition, China, on one hand, is resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and development interests; on the other hand, hopes to stabilize the bilateral ties with a responsible attitude, said Wang Dong, an expert on China-US relations at Peking University. 

Keep communication 

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

He said that China's commitment to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as principles for handling China-US 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.

Xi also stated China's positions on such issues as Taiwan, economic and trade ties, science and technology, cybersecurity, the South China Sea, the Ukraine crisis, and the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua reported.

For his part, Biden stated that the US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, not just for the two peoples, but also for the future of the world. The two governments have a responsibility to the two peoples and the world to see that competition does not veer into conflict, per Xinhua.

The United States does not seek a new Cold War, does not seek to change China's system, does not seek to revitalize its alliances against China, does not support "Taiwan independence," has no intention to have a conflict with China, and does not see its Taiwan policy as a way to compete with China, said Biden, noting that the U.S. side will stay committed to the one-China policy.

The United States is prepared to enhance communication and dialogue with China during the transition period to have a better perception of each other and responsibly manage the differences, said Biden.

Xi's meeting with Biden, who is scheduled to step down in January 2025, represents a review on China-US relations which have largely maintained stable over the past four years under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy; and the purpose of reviewing these experiences is clearly to solidify the foundation for stable, healthy, and sustainable bilateral ties to move forward, Diao Daming, an associate professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Diao said that four points that "remain unchanged" outlined by Xi signal a clear stance from China regarding future engagements with the US, especially in light of potential shifts resulting from changes in the US government.

Communication between China and the US, at any moment, is beneficial for stabilizing bilateral relations and for conveying positive energy and certainty to the world, said Diao. 

César Chaman, editor general of Agencia Andina, told the Global Times on Saturday that a peaceful and stable China-US relationship benefits the whole world, adding that Peruvians do not wish to take sides.