Chinese Foreign Minister (FM) Wang Yi started his long-anticipated visit to the US today, as the two superpowers seek to manage tensions and prepare for a summit between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.
Only yesterday, Xi said, at the annual dinner of the New York-headquartered National Committee on United States-China Relations, that his government is willing to cooperate on global challenges.
“Based on the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, China is willing to work with the US side to advance mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences, and make joint efforts to tackle global challenges, contribute to each other’s progress, and push for common prosperity so as to deliver benefits to both countries and the whole world,” Xi said.
However, experts do not expect immediate progress, as the relationship has been further strained by China’s support for Palestine and the US’ backing for Israel.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi begins a long-anticipated visit to Washington on Thursday, as the US and China seek to manage deep strategic differences and pave the way for an expected summit between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping https://t.co/6MKFXWldrv
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 26, 2023
Additionally, on the same day, Xi also told Californian Governor Gavin Newsom that China’s policy toward the US is “consistent,” comprising of “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.” He also noted that China will “continue to work in this direction and hopes that the US will work with China in the same direction.”
Importantly, the Chinese president stated that the foundation of the bilateral ties “lies among the people, the hope is in the people, the future lies in the youth, and the vitality lies in sub-national areas”
Experts opined that such a high-level reception for Newsom indicated the “great importance” China is attaching toward “building stable and mutually beneficial ties.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who will meet Wang at the State Department on Thursday, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday he would work with his Chinese counterpart to contain the Middle East conflict.
Wang’s trip to the US comes ahead of the meeting between Biden and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November.