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“As two major countries, China and the US should be responsible for history, for the people and for the world.” China’s President Xi Jinping met with the US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, in Beijing on Thursday.
During their meeting, Mr Xi stated that in a changing and turbulent world, countries needed solidarity and coordination, not division or confrontation.
According to him, people want openness and progress, not exclusion or regress.
Mr Xi said, “As two major countries, China and the US should be responsible for history, for the people and for the world, and should be source of stability for world peace and propeller for common development.
“While great changes have taken place in the two countries and in China-U.S. relations, China’s commitment to the goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged.
“Its principle in handling the relationship based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation remains unchanged. Its position of firmly safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged
“Its efforts to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American people remain unchanged.”
The Chinese president further expressed the hope that the US side will work in the same direction as China and that it will view China and its development in a positive and rational light.
“To see each other’s development as an opportunity rather than a challenge and to work with China to find a right way for two major countries to get along with each other,” Mr Xi added.
Mr Sullivan also held a rare meeting on Thursday with one of China’s top generals during his visit to Beijing.
According to a report by Chinese broadcaster Phoenix TV, the meeting appears to be a sign of rapprochement between China and the US.
Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission in Beijing, said that the meeting showed Mr Sullivan’s high regard for the relations between the US and Chinese militaries.
As adviser to President Joe Biden, Mr Sullivan plays a crucial role in formulating US security strategies and coordinating policy towards China, Mr Zhang added.
The Central Military Commission is China’s highest military decision-making body and is chaired by President Xi Jinping.
The White House said that, in the meeting, Mr Sullivan stressed that both countries have a responsibility to prevent competition from veering into conflict or confrontation.
“The two sides reaffirmed the importance of regular military-to-military communications as part of efforts to maintain high-level diplomacy and open lines of communication.
“Open lines of communication as directed by President Biden and President Xi at the November 2023 Woodside Summit,’’ the White House added in a readout of the meeting.
“Sullivan and Vice Chairman Zhang recognised the progress in sustained, regular military-military communications over the past 10 months and planned to hold a theatre commander telephone call in the near future,’’ the White House said.
Mr Sullivan is the first US national security adviser to visit China in eight years, a period in which relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained by trade and security concerns.
The November meeting between Messrs Biden and Xi in California after a year of complete radio silence revived communication between Washington and Beijing, to an extent.
Nevertheless, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that before Mr Sullivan’s arrival, Washington had continued to try to contain and suppress China.
PREMIUM TIMES