In addition to the eight-point readout provided by Xinhua, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi briefed reporters on the results of President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States from Sept. 23-25.
“President Xi and President Donald Trump had a candid and in-depth exchange of views in a friendly atmosphere of mutual respect on strategic and overarching issues concerning China-U.S. relations and the broader global landscape, Wang said,” Xinhua reported. “Since President Trump began his second term, the two heads of state have maintained close exchanges, including three in-person meetings and five phone talks, and fostered a pattern of interaction marked by mutual respect and sincerity, said Wang, noting this has become the most valuable strategic asset in China-U.S. relations.”
Wang emphasized that the two leaders “have agreed to build a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity.” He then specified China’s understanding of these three key elements, which the White House readout had also mentioned. “Respect means respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity… Fairness, Wang continued, means pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation and handling differences through consultation, rejecting a zero-sum game in which one side’s gain comes at the expense of the other’s, and not seeking unilateral absolute advantage… Reciprocity means that the two countries are equal in sovereignty, that neither side stands above the other, that neither engages in hegemonic nor bullying behavior, that each side’s concerns are addressed on an equal basis…
“Noting that President Xi has pointed out that a stable China-U.S. economic and trade relationship requires both expanding the list of cooperation and shortening the list of problems… the two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on major international and regional issues of common concern and agreed to strengthen coordination to make due contributions to world peace and development.”
Wang emphasized that “President Xi also encouraged relevant parties to stay committed to peace, supported the United States and Iran in returning to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, resuming dialogue and negotiations at an early date, and ultimately reaching a comprehensive agreement covering the nuclear issue, Wang said.”
A Sept. 25 Xinhua Commentary, “Turning vision into action for China-U.S. constructive strategic stability,” also reflected official Chinese thinking that “the interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined, and there is plenty of room for them to work together. Also, achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand.
“China and the United States should, and fully can, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results through practical cooperation, help each other succeed through healthy competition, properly manage differences by seeking common ground while respecting differences, and build peace by fostering mutual trust.”
