Chinese vice-president expresses Beijing's readiness to enhance relations with US
Chinese Vice-President expresses Beijing's readiness to enhance relations with the US, signaling optimism ahead of a potential meeting between President Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in San Francisco
Beijing is prepared to enhance relations with Washington, stated a senior Chinese official on Wednesday, just ahead of a much-anticipated meeting between leaders Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in San Francisco.
Vice-President Han Zheng expressed at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore that the recent high-level meetings have conveyed optimistic signs and heightened the international community's hopes for the enhancement of China-US relations. Han stated that China is prepared to intensify communication and dialogue with the United States across all levels, foster mutually advantageous cooperation, effectively handle divergences, and collaboratively tackle global challenges.
"People on both sides anticipate a dependable and harmonious relationship," he added.
On November 14, President Biden will journey to San Francisco to convene with delegates from the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
US officials have refrained from officially confirming the Xi-Biden meeting, indicating that preparations are in progress. However, they acknowledged that the Chinese government typically announces high-level meetings at the eleventh hour.
In anticipation of this possible meeting, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has extended an invitation to Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, renowned as the nation's "economic tsar," for a two-day meeting commencing on Thursday.
The ties between the two largest economies in the world, which had previously been in conflict over various matters, have improved following a series of high-level exchanges during the summer.
Since June, Washington has dispatched four cabinet officials to Beijing, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Climate Envoy John Kerry, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Washington. He met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Biden.
President Xi Jinping of China and US President Joe Biden are expected to meet next week.
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The Biden administration had described Wangs visit as "part of ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication with China across the full range of issues."
Warm words from Xi
Hans's remarks followed shortly after Xi's message that highlighted the significance of fostering a strong bond of friendship between the two nations. This message was conveyed during a conference dedicated to celebrating the establishment of "sister cities," which serve as enduring partnerships between communities in different countries.
In a congratulatory letter to the fifth China-US Sister Cities Conference, Xi emphasized the importance of sister provinces or states and sister cities as platforms for enhancing friendship. He noted that a total of 284 pairs had been established since 1979.
Xi emphasized that the people are the foundation and the strength of Sino-US relations.
Biden and Xi's last in-person meeting took place in November 2022 during a three-hour talk at a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Relations became strained due to trade tensions and the shooting down of a Chinese surveillance balloon by US fighter jets in February. However, relations started to improve after diplomatic visits this summer.
The upcoming crucial meeting next week coincides with the White House's handling of significant conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, amidst mounting rivalry with China.
Biden has consistently portrayed the clash between democratic and autocratic nations as a pivotal focus of his presidency. Additional topics to be addressed encompass human rights issues, trade, and the economy.
The Treasury Department released its semi-annual foreign exchange report on Wednesday, prior to the Yellen-He meeting. In the report, China has been placed on the watchlist due to its currency management's lack of transparency and its significant trade imbalance. The report specifically highlights China's failure to disclose foreign exchange intervention and its general lack of transparency regarding its exchange rate mechanism. This places China as an outlier among major economies and justifies the Treasury's need to closely monitor the situation.
The Treasury Department did not designate any specific country as a currency manipulator in its report released on Wednesday. However, Treasury Secretary Yellen stated that the department will continue to closely monitor the currency practices of various nations. Reporting by CNN's Jennifer Hansler.
