Monday 14 November 2022

Xi warns Biden against conflict, points to mutual interests — Chinese foreign ministry

Xi warns Biden against conflict, points to mutual interests — Chinese foreign ministry

Xi warns Biden against conflict, points to mutual interests — Chinese foreign ministry


Chinese President Xi Jinping
©REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque






Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned US President Joe Biden against a possible conflict, saying the two countries have strong mutual interests, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday after their meeting in Indonesia’s Bali.







"It is in our own interest to prevent a conflict and avert confrontation," the ministry quoted Xi as saying. "China’s and the United States’ economic systems are closely interconnected... We should benefit from joint development."


According to the Chinese leader, Washington’s pressure on Beijing and attempts at containing China’s development "only strengthen the will of the Chinese people." "Trade and technology wars, obstacles and barriers... such attempts run counter to anyone’s interests," he added.


Xi stressed that China wants to build its relations with the United States solely on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. "We need to focus on problems in such a way so that we can better take into account the general situation. We need to create a favorable atmosphere for the sustainable development of Chinese-US relations," he said.



China to conduct peace policy, contribute to global development — Xi



The Chinese authorities are committed to pursuing an open and peaceful policy in the international arena and to contribute to global development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a meeting with US President Joe Biden on the Indonesian island of Bali on Monday.







"Our country will continue to adhere to peace principles, stay open and maintain relations with other states on a mutually beneficial basis," the Chinese Foreign Ministry quotes Xi as saying. "We will take part in global development and make our contribution to it."


As the Chinese leader stressed, Beijing intends to strengthen and expand its international partnerships and protect the international order in accordance with the UN Charter. He stressed that China would firmly pursue an independent policy.



US ready for cooperation with China, Biden tells Xi



The United States stands ready to work together with China, if the latter is willing to do so, Joe Biden said ahead of his first in-person meeting as US president with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia’s Bali.


Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden
©AP Photo/Alex Brandon


"The world expects, I believe, China and the United States to play key roles in addressing global challenges - from climate changes to food and security," he said. Biden also stressed that China and the US should show that they "can manage our differences... and find ways to work together and prevent competition from becoming anything everywhere near conflict."


The US president also assured China that his country was ready to work with it, if that was what Beijing desired. "We will be discussing a lot of these challenges together, I hope, in the next couple (of) hours. The world expects, I believe... for us to be able to work together. The United States stands ready to do just that, work with you, if that’s what you desire," Biden said.


In his turn, the Chinese leader recalled that the two had maintained communication via letters, telegrams and video conferences since Biden became president but that none of them had been "a substitute for face-to-face exchanges." Xi said that at the coming talks he would hopefully have an in-depth exchange of opinions with Biden on relations between China and the United States.



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