Speaking to reporters following the summit between China’s President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, Foreign Minister Wang Yi indicated some of the concerns that the Chinese President had raised at the meeting. He characterized the meeting as “historic, comprehensive and in-depth,” noting that it would lay down the guidelines for a “healthy and stable relationship.” He also said that Biden had invited Xi to a separate summit while he was visiting California for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), apparently referring to the dinner and walk that Xi and Biden took later in the day. Wang said both sides will also increase consultations on business, economy, finance, export controls, Asia-Pacific affairs, oceans, arms control and non-proliferation, as well as foreign affairs.
In addition to agreeing to re-establish military-to-military relations, the two also agreed to initiate negotiations on renewing the U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, despite growing calls in the U.S. Congress to scrap the long-running agreement, due to the escalating technological rivalry between the two sides. They also agreed to restart the China-U.S. Joint Committee on Agriculture, and to “significantly increase” the number of direct flights between the two countries, which have yet to return to pre-Covid levels. He also said that there had also been “all-round communication” on the Ukraine and Israel-Gaza wars, on climate change, and on artificial intelligence.
Wang also referred to Biden’s reaffirmation of the one-China policy, but added that the U.S. continues to increase arms sales to Taiwan and conduct numerous “freedom of navigation” excursions in the Taiwan Strait. He also criticized the restrictions on semiconductors and other high-tech products. He said that such “de-risking” was in fact creating risks. “"These wrong practices and the resulting uncertainty in China-U.S. relations have become the biggest risk. Suppressing China’s science and technology is to curb China’s high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development. We will never agree to it, and they will never succeed,” Wang said.
“The United States should take China’s concerns seriously, lift unilateral sanctions, and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies,” said Wang, adding that China and the U.S. should be “partners” instead of “rivals” and act in their mutual benefit.
