Chinese leader Xi Jinping met for the last time with U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday, but he has begun to look ahead to President-elect Donald Trump and his “America First” policies, saying Beijing is “ready to cooperate with the new U.S. administration.”
During talks on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, Xi Jinping warned that stable Sino-U.S. relations were vital not only to the two countries but also to “the future and destiny of mankind.”
“Make wise choices,” he warned. “Continue to explore the right path for the two major countries to get along.”
Xi did not mention Trump by name but appeared to express concern that the incoming president’s protectionist rhetoric on the campaign trail could plunge U.S.-China relations into another low point.
Xi Jinping said through an interpreter that China is willing to work with the new U.S. government to maintain communication, expand cooperation, manage differences, and promote the smooth transition of Sino-U.S. relations to benefit the two peoples.
Xi Jinping, who is firmly entrenched at the top of Chinese politics, delivered a powerful speech in a brief speech before reporters. Biden, who is coming to the end of more than 50 years of public service, spoke in broader terms about the direction of the relationship between the two countries. He looked back not only on the past four years, but also on the decades the two had known each other.
“We didn’t always agree, but our conversations were always candid and candid. We never joked with each other,” Biden said. “These conversations can prevent miscalculation and ensure that competition between our two countries does not turn into conflict.”
Biden is expected to push Xi Jinping to dissuade North Korea from deepening its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. In a spacious conference room at the Limadenes Hotel and Conference Center, leaders gathered around a rectangular table, surrounded by top aides.
Xi Jinping and Biden met a year ago on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Northern California, which is hosted by the United States and is “hosted” by China this year. , technology and technical issues.
There is great uncertainty about the future of U.S.-China relations under Trump. During his campaign, Trump promised to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese imports.
There are already many U.S. companies, including Nike and eyewear retailers Warby Parkerhas been diversifying its sourcing away from China. Footwear brand Steve Madden said it plans to reduce imports from China by 45% next year.
Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, calling on China and the United States to manage their differences and enter a new era of harmonious coexistence. Xi spoke to Biden on camera on Saturday, but there was no doubt that his message was aimed at Trump.
“In a major technological revolution that is booming, neither decoupling nor supply chain disruption is the solution,” Xi said. “Only mutually beneficial cooperation can we develop together. ‘Small yards, high walls’ is not what big countries should pursue.”
After being greeted by Xi Jinping, Biden ignored reporters asking loudly about his concerns about the incoming Trump administration and North Korea. The leaders also did not engage with reporters after making brief comments at the start of the meeting.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden administration officials will advise the Trump team that dealing with fierce competition with Beijing may be the most significant foreign policy challenge they will face.
Biden views his relationship with Xi as one of the most important on the international stage and has made significant efforts to cultivate it. The two first met during a trip to the United States and China while serving as vice presidents, and both said the interaction left a deep impression.
“For more than a decade, you and I have spent a lot of time together, both here and in China, and in between,” Biden said. “We’ve spent a long time dealing with these issues.”
But the past four years have brought a series of difficult moments.
The FBI this week provided new details about its investigation into the Chinese government’s intrusion into U.S. telecommunications networks. Preliminary findings indicate a “broad and significant” cyber espionage campaign aimed at stealing information from Americans working in government and politics.
U.S. intelligence officials have also assessed a surge in Chinese sales of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology to Russia, which Moscow is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weapons for its war in Ukraine.
Tensions increased last year after Biden ordered the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon flying over the United States.
Biden is looking to Xi Jinping to increase China’s engagement to prevent an already dangerous moment with North Korea from escalating further.
Biden, South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday condemned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to send thousands of troops to help Moscow fight off Ukrainian forces occupying territory in Russia’s Kursk border region.
Biden called it “dangerous and destabilizing cooperation.”
White House officials have expressed frustration with Beijing, which accounts for the vast majority of North Korea’s trade, for not doing more to contain Pyongyang.
North Korea has also supplied artillery and other munitions to Russia, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. The United States, Japan and South Korea expressed alarm at Pyongyang’s accelerated pace of ballistic missile tests.
Kim Jong Un ordered the test drills ahead of this month’s U.S. election and claimed to have made progress in building capabilities to strike the U.S. mainland.
Xi and Biden started the day at the APEC summit leaders’ retreat with a group photo, both wearing scarves made from vicuña hair, Peru’s symbolic animal. Typically, leaders attending these gatherings receive a gift – often traditional clothing from the host country – which they wear for photos.
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