Atmosphere Ripening for US-China Summit... "China Is Ready to Talk"

Han Zheng, Vice President of China, stated that he is ready to engage in dialogue at all levels to cooperate with the United States. This is interpreted as indicating that the upcoming meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden scheduled for next week is progressing positively.

On the 8th, the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Vice President Han said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum held in Singapore, "We are prepared to strengthen dialogue at all levels to improve relations with the United States and cooperate on global challenges." This statement came just over a week before the bilateral meeting between President Biden and President Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

China has not yet officially confirmed President Xi's attendance at APEC, but recent months of high-level exchanges with the United States are known to be preparations for the bilateral talks. Vice President Han explained regarding recent official exchanges, "They have sent positive signals and raised the international community's expectations for the improvement of China-U.S. relations."

He emphasized, "A stable and sound China-U.S. relationship is a common expectation of various sectors in other countries and the international community as a whole," adding, "We are ready to enhance communication and dialogue with the United States at all levels to promote mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences, and jointly address global challenges." He further asserted that China always views and handles its relationship with the United States based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

In his speech, he stated, "Unilateralism and protectionism lead nowhere, and security issues should not be overinterpreted," emphasizing, "Industrial and supply chain decoupling, so-called 'risk elimination,' only divides the world economy into isolated islands." He also added, "The will to resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation and to create a stable international environment conducive to development must become stronger."

Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment, following Premier Han at the forum, said there are positive signs for China-U.S. relations as engagement between the two economic powers increases. He mentioned, "Pragmatism is emerging," and stated, "We urge cooperation and coexistence between the world's two largest economic and geopolitical powers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.