During a three-hour long meeting on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Bali on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his American counterpart Joe Biden that interfering in Taiwan constitutes a ‘red line’ and could lead to a “collision.”
According to a press release by the Chinese foreign ministry, Xi noted that the present state of their relations is “not in the fundamental interest” of either country or the international community at large, saying the world stands at a “major inflexion point in history.” He thus stressed that both sides need to “explore the right way to get along with each other” and bring bilateral relations ‘back on track.’
Xi underscored the need to not view United States (US)-China relations through the lens of a “zero-sum game where one side out-competes or thrives at the expense of the other.”
President Xi noted that the world has come to a crossroads. China and the US should work with all countries to bring more hope to world peace, greater confidence in global stability, and stronger impetus to common development.
— Zhang Jun (@ChinaAmbUN) November 14, 2022
“The world is big enough for the two countries to develop themselves and prosper together,” Xi opined.
Xi also assured Biden that China does not intend “to change the existing international order,” interfere in the US’ internal affairs, or “challenge or displace” the US.
“The two sides should respect each other, coexist in peace, pursue win-win cooperation, and work together to ensure that relations move forward on the right course without losing direction, [much] less having a collision,” Xi emphasised.
Their meeting also marks their first interaction since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan in August, following which China undertook a number of aggressive military manoeuvres and suspended various avenues of cooperation with the US and repeatedly warned of firm countermeasures.
Congressional lawmakers are also attempting to pass a multi-billion dollar military assistance package that will allow Washington to deliver anti-ship cruise missiles, anti-air defence systems, self-detonating drones, naval mines, command-and-control systems, and secure radios to Taiwan.
President Xi Jinping and I have a responsibility to work together on urgent global challenges and to continue the open and honest dialogue we’ve always shared. pic.twitter.com/KWO7YSsyuo
— President Biden (@POTUS) November 14, 2022
In this regard, Xi warned Biden not to interfere in China’s internal affairs, noting that doing so would cross a ‘red line.’ He also reiterated that Taiwan lies at the “core” of not only China’s interests but also US-China relations.
Xi also hit back at criticism of rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, saying, “Just as the United States has American-style democracy, China has Chinese-style democracy; both fit their respective national conditions.” He said there is room for US capitalism and Chinese socialism to peacefully coexist and appeared to caution against further sanctions by saying, “Suppression and containment will only strengthen the will and boost the morale of the Chinese people.”
Furthermore, he reaffirmed China’s non-committal stance on the Ukraine war by saying “there is no simple solution to a complex issue.” His comments came on the same day that China voted against a United Nations General Assembly resolution that called on Russia to pay reparations for its “wrongful acts” during the war.
Meanwhile, the Chinese press release said that Biden said the two sides must seek to bolster cooperation in climate change and food security ad underscored that the US “respects China’s system and does not seek to change it.” He also said that the US “does not seek a Cold War” or to “revitalise alliances against China.” The readout went on to say that Biden “does not support “Taiwan independence”, does not support “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”, and has no intention to have a conflict with China.”
A decade ago, then Vice President Xi and then Vice President Biden exchanged T-shirts with the words “Fostering Goodwill Between America & China” presented by students in LA. Ten years later, goodwill & cooperation are all the more essential for China and the US to get along. pic.twitter.com/dEHwYz6eJI
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) November 15, 2022
In a press briefing after their meeting, Biden restated that there is no need for “a new Cold War.” He also asserted that he does “not think there’s any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan.”
“I made it clear that our policy in Taiwan has not changed at all. I made it clear that we want to see cross-strait issues peacefully resolved,” he said.
To this end, he also mentioned that he has instructed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “travel to China to follow up” on their discussions “and continue keeping the lines of communication open between our two countries.”
On the issue of North Korea’s escalatory missile launches and the fact that it appears all set to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017, Biden opined that he is “certain that China can control North Korea.”
“I’ve made it clear to President Xi Jinping that I thought they had an obligation to attempt to make it clear to North Korea that they should not engage in long-range nuclear tests,” Biden remarked.
Today, I met with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China.
— President Biden (@POTUS) November 14, 2022
We discussed our responsibility to prevent the competition between our countries from veering into conflict and finding ways to work together on shared challenges that affect the international community. pic.twitter.com/ufneHdcyCF
He also expressed confidence that China is “not looking for North Korea to engage in further escalatory means,” stressing that if the rogue regime were to do so then the US would be “more up in the face of China.”
Commenting on the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during her press conference on Monday that Beijing’s foreign policy towards Washington is based on principles of “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
She added, however, that China is also committed to “firmly” defending its “sovereignty, security and development interests.” Mao stressed that it is important that the US and China work together “to properly manage differences, avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation.”
Similarly, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during his press briefing that Washington is “prepared for stiff competition” with Beijing, but does not seek conflict or confrontation.
Sullivan said that the US wants to manage competition “responsibly” and “operate according to a set of well-established, agreed rules, including on freedom of navigation, on a level playing field for economics, and on refraining from the use of intimidation or coercion or aggression.”