Xi says China is 'ready to work' with Trump in final meeting with Biden

Source: The Guardian

Sat 16 Nov 2024 19.54 EST
First published on Sat 16 Nov 2024 13.34 EST


Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said he is ready to work with the incoming US administration of Donald Trump as he met with outgoing president Joe Biden for what is expected to be the final time. “China is ready to work with the new US administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences, so as to strive for a smooth transition of the China-US relationship,” Xi said, as the pair met for about two hours on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.

While he did not mention Trump by name, Xi alluded to the renewed concerns of fresh trade wars and diplomatic tensions Trump’s policies could bring when he returns to the White House in January, adding that “neither decoupling nor supply chain disruption is a solution”. The two countries, Xi said, should “inject more certainty” in a turbulent world.

On the campaign trail, Trump touted a hawkish approach to China, promising to increase tariffs to 60% on Chinese imports, which could be as much as $500bn worth of goods. Trump has also promised to end Russia’s war in Ukraine “in 24 hours”, which some fear means decreasing the flow of military aid to Ukraine or pushing the country to lose territory to Russia. A general backing away from the conflict could give room for China to step up as an intermediary, increasing its presence on the global stage.

Biden told Xi that the two leaders had not always agreed but their discussions were always “frank” and “candid”. “Our two countries cannot let any of this competition veer into conflict,” he said. “That’s our responsibility and over the last four years I think we’ve proven it’s possible to have this relationship.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/16/biden-xi-jinping-apec-peru