Kamala Harris and Xi Jinping give new impetus to US-China dialogue

The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harrisand the president of China, Xi Jinpingmet on Saturday to prolong the exchanges between the two rival countries, now in a conciliatory tone since the meeting last week between the Chinese leader and his American counterpart Joe Biden.

Harris and Xi Jinping had a brief meeting at the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in Bangkok, where Russia, Washington’s other opponent, seemed isolated in the absence of a strong personality to defend the invasion of Ukraine, which “the majority” of members of the group condemned in a joint statement.

Their first meeting follows the dynamic initiated by Biden and Xi Jinping, who pledged to reduce tensions between the two rival superpowers on Monday at their three-hour meeting in Bali, on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which brings together the major economies. of the planet.

Harris reinforced Biden’s message that “we must keep the lines of communication open to responsibly manage competition between our countries,” a White House official said on condition of anonymity.

Related Post

NIO’s Stock Is Falling. It’s the Latest EV Maker to Offer Convertible Bonds.

September 19, 2023

Some Chinese Stocks Are a Real Bargain Now. Alibaba Is One of Them.

September 13, 2023

U.S., Saudi Arabia in Talks to Secure Metals for EVs

September 10, 2023

Nvidia Stock Is Near a Record High. Watch These 3 Things.

August 29, 2023

By your side, Xi Jinping He hopes that the world’s two largest economies “reduce misunderstandings and misjudgments” to promote “the return of healthy and stable relations,” he was quoted as saying in state media.

In Bali and then in Bangkok, Xi Jinpingat the height of his power after having won a historic third term, saw numerous foreign leaders, a sign perceived as a willingness to present himself as a responsible leader, ready to face global challenges.

His meeting with Biden, the first face-to-face since the Democratic president came to power, was “strategic and constructive and has important significance in guiding relations” between Beijing and Washington, which, from Taiwan to the war in Ukraine, are advancing on the ground. slippery.

Deter North Korea

Sign of détente, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinkwill travel to China in early 2023, which would be the first for a senior US diplomat since 2018.

Blinken told reporters in Bangkok that the contacts with Beijing were aimed at ensuring that competition between the two countries “does not turn into a conflict” and finding areas of cooperation on global issues such as climate change.

Xi Jinpingwho has not visited the United States since 2017, could do so in 2023 for the next summit of the APEC in San Francisco.

On the Indonesian island of Bali, Biden met with Xi for three hours and asked him to help contain his ally North Korea, increasingly feared by Washington and Seoul after the recent unprecedented series of ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang.

China must use its influence on the regime of Kim Jong Unof which it is the main diplomatic and economic ally, to encourage it “not to go in this provocative direction, which only destabilizes the region and the world,” a US official said on Friday.

Harris held emergency talks with the prime ministers of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and New Zealand on Friday about launching North Korean missiles.

The Russian invasion in Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is another point of contention between Washington and Beijing, which claims a neutral stance against the Russian invasion, despite calls for it to publicly condemn Moscow.

The final statement of the APECwhich concluded after a day and a half of discussions, recalled this divergence.

Most members condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it causes immense human suffering and exacerbates existing fragilities in the global economy,” the statement read.

After Thailand, Harris is expected Tuesday in the Philippine province of Palawan, bordering the South China Sea, much of which is claimed by Beijing. She will become the highest-ranking US official to visit her.

the summit of the APEC An intense diplomatic sequence in the region concluded, following the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh and the G20 summit in Bali.

kg