US President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, in Woodside, California, USA, on November 15, 2023.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
BEIJING – The United States and China must choose between being adversaries or partners, Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. trade executives late Wednesday in San Francisco.
His remarks contrast with the Biden administration’s approach to dealing with strategic competition with Beijing — limiting exports of advanced American technology to China while seeking areas of cooperation.
Xi spoke at a dinner in San Francisco after his meeting with US President Joe Biden a few hours earlier, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.
“I always had one question in my mind: How to steer the giant ship of China-US relations free from hidden rocks and shoals, navigate it through storms and waves without getting disoriented, losing speed or even having a collision?” Xi said, according to an English reading of his Mandarin speech.
China is willing to be a partner and friend of the United States.
Xi Jinping
President of China
“In this regard, the first question for us is: are we opponents or partners? This is the fundamental and general issue,” he said.
“The logic is quite simple. If one sees the other side as a main competitor, the most consistent geopolitical challenge and a looming threat, it will only lead to misinformed policy-making, misguided actions and unwanted results,” Xi said.
“China is ready to be a partner and friend of the United States,” he said. “The fundamental principles we follow in dealing with relations between China and the United States are mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
Nearly 400 business leaders – incl an apple CEO Tim Cook and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon — government officials, US citizens and academics attended the dinner, hosted by the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on US-China Relations.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo made remarks before Xi’s address.
In a roughly 30-minute speech, Xi said China-led international initiatives such as the Belt and Road are open to US participation, while Beijing is willing to join multilateral cooperation initiatives proposed by the US.
“No matter how the global landscape develops, the historical trend of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States will not change,” Xi said.
Pandas returning to the United States
Regarding earlier conversations with Biden, Xi said, “we agreed to extend the cooperation list and expand the pie of cooperation.”
Xi said China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to study in the Asian country over the next five years.
He also said that China will send its giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo. He did not specify a time.
Last week, the remaining three pandas in the United States on loan from Beijing returned to China due to an expiring contract. China has loaned pandas to countries around the world as a diplomatic tool.
China never bets against the US, and never interferes in its internal affairs.
Xi Jinping
President of China
Xi’s speech was titled “Galvanizing Our Peoples into a Strong Force for the Cause of Sino-US Friendship.”
“It is wrong to view China, which is committed to peaceful development, as a threat and thus play a zero-sum game against it,” Xi said. “China never bets against the United States, and never interferes in its internal affairs.”
“China does not intend to challenge the United States or eliminate it. Instead, we will be happy to see a reliable, open, ever-growing and prosperous United States,” he said. “Similarly, the United States should not bet against China, or interfere in China’s internal affairs. It should instead welcome a peaceful, stable and prosperous China.”
— CNBC’s Christina Wilkie and Eamon Javers contributed to this report.
Correction: The summary and key points have been updated to accurately reflect Xi’s dinner with American business executives took place on Wednesday night in San Francisco.
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