As reported in White HouseDuring the meeting, the US president noted that both the United States and China must take a responsible approach to competition in their relations and maintain open lines of communication. He stressed that both countries must work together to solve global problems.
US President Joe Biden called Friday’s meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi “a good opportunity and a positive development,” National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said Friday.
Biden still hopes to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the near future, Kirby added, but declined to say whether an agreement had been reached for the two presidents to meet at next month’s APEC summit in San Francisco.
President Biden also expressed his condolences to China over the death of former Premier Li Keqiang.
Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held separate talks with his Chinese counterpart. As a result, they made a series of statements whose tone indicated a positive mutual attitude.
The US State Department called the meeting part of “ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the US-China relationship,” while “US Secretary of State “The United States reaffirmed that the United States will continue to defend its interests and values, as well as those of allies and partners.”
In turn, Wang Yi said that despite the existence of differences, China and the United States have many important common interests that require maintaining dialogue: “We have differences, but at the same time we also have important common interests, and we face challenges to each other. those we must respond together. Therefore, China and the United States need to engage in dialogue.”
Wang Yi’s meetings in Washington come ahead of a proposed meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in San Francisco on Sept. 11. to November 17. This meeting has not yet been officially confirmed.
