President Xi Jinping had a virtual meetingwith US President Joe Biden on Nov 16. The two sides had thorough and in-depthcommunication and exchanges on issues of strategic, overarching and fundamentalimportance shaping the development of China-US relations and on importantissues of mutual interest.

President Xi pointed out that both Chinaand the US are at critical stages of development, and the "globalvillage" of humanity faces multiple challenges.

 Asthe world's two largest economies and permanent members of the UN SecurityCouncil, China and the US need to increase communication and cooperation, eachrun their domestic affairs well and, at the same time, shoulder their share ofinternational responsibilities, and work together to advance the noble cause ofworld peace and development. This is the shared desire of the people of the twocountries and around the world, and the joint mission of Chinese and Americanleaders.

Soundand stable China-US relationship urged

President Xi stressed that a sound andstable China-US relationship is required for advancing the two countries'respective development and for safeguarding a peaceful and stable internationalenvironment, including finding effective responses to global challenges such asclimate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. China and the US should respect eachother, coexist in peace, and pursue win-win cooperation. President Xi expressedhis readiness to work with President Biden to build consensus and take activesteps to move China-US relations forward in a positive direction. Doing so willadvance the interests of the two peoples and meet the expectation of theinternational community.

President Xi pointed out that the mostimportant event in international relations over the past 50 years was thereopening and development of China-US relations, which has benefited the twocountries and the whole world. The most important event in internationalrelations in the coming 50 years will be for China and the US to find the rightway to get along.

History is a fair judge. What a statesmandoes, be it right or wrong, be it an accomplishment or a failure, will all berecorded by history. It is hoped that President Biden will demonstratepolitical leadership and steer America's China policy back on the track ofreason and pragmatism.

President Xi highlighted that a review ofthe experience and lessons learned in growing China-US relations shows that forthe two countries to get along in the new era, three principles must befollowed. First, mutual respect. The two countries need to respect each other'ssocial systems and development paths, respect each other's core interests andmajor concerns, and respect each other's right to development. They need totreat each other as equals, keep differences under control, and seek commonground while reserving differences. Second, peaceful coexistence. No conflictand no confrontation is a line that both sides must hold. The US side hassuggested coexistence between China and the US. One more word can be added tomake it peaceful coexistence. Third, win-win cooperation. With their interestsdeeply intertwined, China and the US stand to gain from cooperation and losefrom confrontation. The world is big enough for the two countries to developindividually and collectively. The right thing to do is to choose mutualbenefit over zero-sum game or the I-win-you-lose approach.

President Xi identified four priority areaswhere China and the US should focus their efforts on.

First, shouldering responsibilities ofmajor countries and leading global response to outstanding challenges. China-UScooperation may not solve all problems, but few problems can be solved withoutChina-US cooperation. The global initiatives China has proposed are all open tothe US. We hope the reverse is also true. Second, acting in the spirit ofequality and mutual benefit to move forward exchanges at all levels and in allareas and generate more positive energy for China-US relations. President Xiexpressed his readiness to stay in touch with President Biden through multiplemeans to set the direction and inject more momentum into bilateral relations.The two countries, with broad common interests in a wide range of areasincluding economy, energy, mil-to-mil, law-enforcement, education, science andtechnology, cyber, environmental protection and sub-national interactions,should complement each other to make the cake bigger for China-US cooperation.The two sides could fully harness the dialogue channels and mechanisms betweentheir diplomatic and security, economic and financial, and climate changeteams, in an effort to advance practical cooperation and resolve specificissues. Third, managing differences and sensitive issues in a constructive wayto prevent China-US relations from getting derailed or out of control. It isonly natural for the two countries to have differences. The key is to managethem constructively so that they don't magnify or exacerbate. China willcertainly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. It isimportant that the US properly handle the relevant issues with prudence.Fourth, strengthening coordination and cooperation on major international andregional hotspot issues to provide more public goods to the world. The world isnot tranquil. China and the US need to work together with the rest of theinternational community to defend world peace, promote global development, andsafeguard a fair and equitable international order.

President Xi compared China and the US totwo giant ships sailing in the ocean. It is important for the two sides to keepa steady hand on the tiller, so that the two giant ships will break waves andforge ahead together, without losing direction or speed, still less collidingwith each other.

Chinesepeople’s aspiration for better life will not be stopped

President Xi explained China's developmentpath and strategic intentions. The just concluded sixth Plenary Session of the19th CPC Central Committee took stock of the major achievements and historicalexperience of the CPC in the past 100 years. Over the past century, the CPC haskept to its founding aspiration and mission of striving for the happiness ofthe Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. A lot has beenaccomplished in this direction, but that is far from enough. More needs to bedone. President Xi said that when he took office, he said publicly that theChinese people's aspiration for a better life is the goal to strive for. TheChinese people's aspiration for a better life is the biggest internal driverfor China's development and an inevitable trend of history. Any attempt to stopthis historical trend will be rejected by the Chinese people, and will by nomeans succeed. President Xi said that as China's leader, serving the 1.4billion Chinese people and working with them for a better life is a greatchallenge and a great responsibility. "I shall put aside my own well-beingand live up to people's expectations," President Xi said.

President Xi pointed out that the Chinesepeople have always loved and valued peace. Aggression or hegemony is not in theblood of the Chinese nation. Since the founding of the People's Republic, Chinahas never started a single war or conflict, and has never taken one inch ofland from other countries. China has no intention to sell its own developmentpath around the world. On the contrary, China encourages all countries to finddevelopment paths tailored to their respective national conditions.

President Xi stressed that opening-up is afundamental State policy and a hallmark of China. China will not change itsdetermination to open up at a higher level. China will not change itsdetermination to share development opportunities with the rest of the world.And China will not change its determination to make economic globalization moreopen, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all. The new development paradigmthat China is working to establish is aimed at expanding domestic market,fostering both domestic and international circulations with greater scope andscale, and building a business environment that is more market-oriented,law-based and up to international standards. All this will provide a biggermarket and more opportunities to other countries.

President Xi highlighted China's commitmentto peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are commonvalues of humanity. Drawing ideological lines or dividing the world intodifferent camps or rival groups will only make the world suffer. The bitterlessons of the Cold War are still fresh in memory. We hope that the US side canmeet its word of not seeking a "new Cold War" with concrete actions.

President Xi stated China's position on theTaiwan question. He noted the new wave of tensions across the Taiwan Straits,and ascribed the tensions to the repeated attempts by the Taiwan authorities torely on US support for their independence agenda as well as the intention ofsome Americans to use Taiwan to contain China. Such moves are extremelydangerous, just like playing with fire. Whoever plays with fire will get burnt.The one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques are thepolitical foundation of China-US relations. Previous US administrations haveall made clear commitments on this question. The true status quo of the Taiwanquestion and what lies at the heart of one China are as follows: there is butone China in the world and Taiwan is part of China, and the Government of thePeople's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China.Achieving China's complete reunification is an aspiration shared by all sonsand daughters of the Chinese nation. We have patience and will strive for theprospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and efforts. Thatsaid, should the separatist forces for Taiwan independence provoke us, forceour hands or even cross the red line, we will be compelled to take resolutemeasures.

Multilateralismwithout China-US cooperation is incomplete

President Xi highlighted that civilizationsare rich and diverse, and so is democracy. Democracy is not mass produced witha uniform model or configuration for countries around the world. Whether acountry is democratic or not should be left to its own people to decide.Dismissing forms of democracy that are different from one's own is in itselfundemocratic. China is ready to have dialogues on human rights on the basis ofmutual respect, but we oppose using human rights to meddle in other countries'internal affairs.

President Xi pointed out that China and theUS need to uphold the international system with the UN at its core, the internationalorder underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governinginternational relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.Multilateralism without China-US cooperation is incomplete.

On trade ties, President Xi described theChina-US economic and trade relations as mutually beneficial in nature.Business is business. Economic and trade issues between the two countriesshould not be politicized. The two sides need to make the cake bigger forcooperation. China takes seriously the wishes of US business community totravel to China more easily, and has agreed to upgrade fast-track arrangement,which will further enhance economic and trade exchanges between China and theUS and boost the recovery of the two economies. The US should stop abusing oroverstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese businesses.It is imperative for China and the US to maintain communication onmacroeconomic policies, support world economic recovery and guard againsteconomic and financial risks. The US should be mindful of the spillover effectsof its domestic macro policies, and adopt responsible macroeconomic policies.

On energy security, President Xi noted theneed for China and the US to call on the international community to jointlyprotect global energy security, strengthen cooperation on natural gas and newenergy, and work with other countries to keep global industrial and supplychains safe and stable.

On climate change, President Xi recalledChina-US cooperation that helped bring about the Paris Agreement. He pointedout that, as both countries are transitioning to green and low-carbon economy,climate change can well become a new highlight of cooperation. President Xireiterated his belief that clear water and green mountains are as valuable asgold and silver, and that we must protect the environment the way we protectour own eyes, and treat the environment the way we treat our own lives. Today,ecological conservation has become a household concept and social consensus inChina. China will make the world's biggest cut in carbon emission intensity inthe shortest time frame in history, a task that will require extraordinaryefforts. China means what it says. It only commits to what it can deliver, andnever makes a promise it cannot keep. China is still the largest developingcountry in the world. The issue of unbalanced and inadequate development stillstands out. All countries need to uphold the principle of common butdifferentiated responsibilities, and strike a balance between addressingclimate change and protecting livelihoods. What the world needs is lessfinger-pointing or blame game, but more solidarity and cooperation. Wordsmatter, but actions matter even more. Developed countries need to earnestlyfulfill their historical responsibilities and due obligations, and maintainpolicy consistency.

On public health, President Xi pointed outthat the pandemic once again proves that humanity lives in a community with ashared future. There is no higher priority than people's lives. Solidarity andcooperation is the most powerful weapon for the international community todefeat COVID-19. Response to any major disease must be based on science.Politicizing diseases does no good but only harm. The pressing priority in theglobal COVID response is to address the vaccine deficits and close thevaccination gap. President Xi said that he suggested making COVID vaccines aglobal public good at the early stage of the pandemic last year, and put fortha Global Vaccine Cooperation Action Initiative just recently. China is amongthe first to offer vaccines to developing countries in need, delivering over1.7 billion doses of finished and bulk vaccines to the world. We will considermaking additional donations in light of the needs of developing countries.COVID-19 will not be the last public health crisis facing humanity. China andthe US need to call for the establishment of a cooperation mechanism for globalpublic health and communicable disease prevention and control, and promotefurther international exchanges and cooperation.

UShas no intention to conflict with China

President Biden said that the US-Chinarelationship is the most important bilateral relations in the world. As twomajor countries, the US and China have a responsibility to the world as well asto our people. The two sides need to have open and candid dialogues to enhanceunderstanding of each other's intentions, and make sure that competitionbetween the two countries is fair and healthy and does not veer into conflict.President Biden echoed President Xi's comment that history is a fair judge, andthat they should make the relationship work and not mess it up. China has beena major power since 5,000 years ago. Biden reiterated that the US does not seekto change China's system, the revitalization of its alliances is notanti-China, and the US has no intention to have a conflict with China. Bidenreaffirmed the US government's long-standing one-China policy, stated that theUS does not support "Taiwan independence", and expressed the hope forpeace and stability to be maintained in the Taiwan Straits. The US is willingto work with China on the basis of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence,increase communication, reduce misperception, and handle differencesconstructively. Biden emphasized the need for the US and China to work moreclosely in areas where their interests align, respond to global challenges suchas the COVID pandemic and climate change, and deliver better lives to the twopeoples. We should encourage the younger generation to interact more and bemore exposed to each other's culture, which will help make the world a betterplace.

The two sides also exchanged views onAfghanistan, the Iranian nuclear issue, the situation on the Korean Peninsula,and other international and regional issues of mutual interest.

The two Presidents agreed that theirmeeting is candid, constructive, substantive and productive. It helps increasemutual understanding, adds to the positive expectation of the internationalcommunity for this relationship, and sends a powerful message to the twocountries and the world. The two sides agreed to maintain close communicationin different forms and steer China-US relations back on the right track ofsound and steady development, for the good of the people in both countries andaround the world.