It is their responsibility to “ensure that competition between our countries does not degenerate into a conflict, whether intentional or unintentional,” said Biden on Monday evening (US local time) at the beginning of the eagerly anticipated conversation with Xi.
At the same time, Biden emphasized “that all countries must adhere to the same rules of the game”. The US would always stand up for its interests and values as well as those of its allies and partners. The US President spoke out in favor of “guard rails of common sense”.
Both sides would have to honestly say “where we disagree and work together where our interests overlap, especially on important global issues such as climate change”. For both countries it is a matter of assuming responsible leadership roles in the world.
First “personal” encounter
It is the first personal, if only virtual, encounter between the two presidents since Biden took office in January. Before that, both of them had only phoned twice. At the beginning of Tuesday morning, Beijing local time, Xi said China and the US should respect each other, peacefully coexist and cooperate, as quoted by the state media. Both countries should also live up to their international responsibilities.
In addition, Xi expressed willingness to “form a consensus with Biden and take active steps to move relations between China and the United States in a positive direction,” as quoted by the official Xinhua news agency.
Good relationships are important in order to promote development in both countries, to ensure a peaceful and stable international environment and to find effective answers to global challenges such as climate change or the corona pandemic. As the largest economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, the US and China should live up to their international responsibilities, Xi said.
(apa / dpa / joi)
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