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China’s foreign minister says Xi-Biden meeting in San Francisco would not be ‘smooth sailing’

Wang Yi met with President Joe Biden, Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan during a three-day visit to Washington.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China said the two countries must “eliminate interference, overcome obstacles, enhance consensus and accumulate results.” | AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, recently wrapped up a three-day visit to Washington, where he met with President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. This high-level exchange occurred amidst strained relations between the two global giants, with tensions simmering over issues like U.S. export controls on advanced technology and China’s increasingly assertive actions in the East and South China seas.

In a statement issued by China’s foreign ministry, Wang Yi emphasized that the path to an anticipated meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Biden would be far from “smooth-sailing.” He underscored the imperative for both sides to collaborate earnestly to achieve tangible results, warning against complacency and relying on “autopilot” for progress. This cautionary tone reflects the underlying complexities of the U.S.-China relationship.

Despite the challenges, both sides concurred on the need to strive for a bilateral meeting at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit scheduled for November in San Francisco. Wang’s visit to the U.S. capital marks another step in a series of high-level engagements as both nations seek ways to stabilize their increasingly tense ties.

Notably, amidst ongoing global conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, the statement underscores the mutual recognition of the benefits and necessity of dialogue between the United States and China. The foreign ministry’s message stresses the importance of eliminating interference, overcoming obstacles, building consensus, and accumulating concrete results.

Wang Yi referred to a need for a “return to Bali,” alluding to a prior meeting between Presidents Xi and Biden at a G20 summit the previous year. During this encounter, they discussed critical matters such as Taiwan, U.S.-China trade tensions, and collaboration on issues ranging from climate change to health and food security. The emphasis, as Wang stated, is on the imperative to enhance cooperation and consensus.

In addition to the overarching theme of improving bilateral relations, Wang and Biden discussed various facets of cooperation. These included military exchanges between the U.S. and China, as well as financial, technological, and cultural exchanges. The conversation extended to addressing crises in regions such as the Middle East and Ukraine, signifying the complexity and breadth of the U.S.-China relationship in the global arena.

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