Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on people from all walks of life in both China and the U.S. to have more contacts and exchanges, continue to build a consensus, enhance trust, steer clear of disruptions and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.
Xi made the remarks during his meeting with representatives from the American business, strategic and academic communities in Beijing.
He called for bringing more tangible benefits to the people of the two countries and injecting more stability into the world.
Noting that the China-U.S. relationship is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, Xi said whether China and the U.S. engage in cooperation or confrontation is critical to the well-being of the two peoples, and the future of humanity.
The respective successes of China and the U.S. are opportunities for each other, Xi said, adding that as long as both sides regard each other as partners, respect each other, coexist peacefully and cooperate for win-win results, China-U.S. relations will be improved.
As this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S., Xi pointed out that the history of China-U.S. relations is a history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples, with the past written by the people and the future created by the people.
Sustainable economy
“The Chinese economy is sound and sustainable,” Xi said, noting that last year, China registered one of the highest growth rates among the major economies and accounted for over 30 percent of global growth as before.
“China did not collapse as predicted by the ‘China collapse theory,’ nor will it peak as forecasted by the ‘China peak theory,” Xi told the U.S. guests.
The Chinese president reiterated that China will continue to advance high-quality development and Chinese modernization, enable the Chinese people to live a better life, and contribute more to sustainable development in the world.
Xi also recalled his oft-repeated saying that reform and opening up holds the key to contemporary China’s catching up with the times in great strides.
“China’s reform will not pause, and its opening up will not stop,” said Xi.
China is planning and implementing a series of major measures to comprehensively deepen reform, foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized, and provides broader development space for international businesses including U.S. companies, Xi added.
Xi pointed out that faced with the recent years’ new and evolving situation in China-U.S. business ties, the two sides should stay committed to mutual respect, mutual benefit and equal-footed consultation, follow economic and market rules, expand and deepen mutually beneficial business cooperation, respect each other’s development rights, and work for win-win outcomes for the two countries and the world at large.
More common interests
President Xi emphasized that over the past couple of years, the China-U.S. relationship experienced some setbacks and serious challenges, from which lessons should be learned. “The relationship cannot go back to the old days, but it can embrace a brighter future.”
Noting the two sides maintained communication and made progress in the political and diplomatic, economic and financial, law enforcement and counternarcotics, climate change and people-to-people fields in the past few months, Xi said under the new circumstances, “China and the U.S. have more, not fewer, common interests.”
China and the United States should help rather than hinder each other’s development, both in traditional areas such as trade and agriculture and in emerging areas such as climate change and artificial intelligence, he added.
Xi urged the United States to work with China in the same direction, establish a correct strategic perception, and properly handle sensitive issues to maintain the momentum for bilateral relations to stabilize from a downward spiral.
In their remarks, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Evan G. Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Blackstone Stephen A. Schwarzman, President and CEO of Qualcomm Cristiano R. Amon, Founding Dean of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Graham Allison, and President of the U.S.-China Business Council Craig Allen thanked President Xi for taking time to meet them.
They noted that China’s exceptional economic growth and transformation over the past decades speak to its strong resilience and vitality and expressed confidence that China will realize its development goals and contribute to a stronger, more integrated global economy.
Sharing close economic ties, the United States and China can only develop and thrive in peaceful coexistence. The Thucydides trap is not inevitable, they said.
According to them, the U.S. business, strategic and academic communities support the United States and China in bolstering exchanges and communication at all levels, enhancing mutual understanding, trust and cooperation, joining hands to address global challenges, and fostering a stable, sustainable and productive U.S.-China relationship.
