LIMA (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden for the last time on Saturday, but anticipating the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump and his “America First” policies, he said Beijing “is ready to work.” with a new American government.”
During his talks on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, Xi warned that a stable relationship between China and the United States was critical not only for both nations, but for the “future and destiny of humanity.”
“Make the wise choice,” he warned. “Keep exploring the right way for two great countries to get along with each other.”
Without mentioning Trump by name, Xi appeared to signal concern that the incoming president’s protectionist rhetoric during the election campaign could herald changes for the U.S.-China relationship.
“China stands ready to work with a new US government to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences to strive for a stable transition of the China-US relationship for the benefit of both peoples,” Xi said.
Xi, who is firmly entrenched at the top of China’s political hierarchy, spoke firmly in his brief remarks to reporters. Biden, who is concluding more than 50 years of public service, spoke more generally about the direction the relationship between the two countries has taken.
He reflected not only on the last four years, but on the decades the two have known each other.
“We have not always agreed, but our conversations have always been sincere and frank. “We have never deceived ourselves,” Biden said. “These talks prevent misunderstandings and ensure that competition between our two countries does not veer into conflict.”
Biden urged Xi to discourage North Korea from deepening its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. The two leaders, surrounded by their main advisors, met around a long rectangle of tables in a large conference room in a hotel in Lima, the capital of Peru.
They had a lot to talk about, including China’s indirect support for Russia, human rights issues, technology and Taiwan, the autonomous democracy that China claims as its own. On artificial intelligence, both agreed on the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons and more broadly improve security and international cooperation in this rapidly expanding area of technology.
There is a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds when it comes to the relationship between the United States and China under Trump, who campaigned promising to impose 60% tariffs on Chinese imports.
Many American companies, including Nike and eyewear retailer Warby Parker, are already diversifying their import sources away from relying solely on China. Footwear brand Steve Madden says it plans to reduce imports from China by up to 45% next year.
In a congratulatory message to Trump after his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, Xi called for the United States and China to manage their differences and get along in a new era. In front of the cameras on Saturday, Xi spoke to Biden, but it was clear that his message was directed at Trump.
“In a great flourishing scientific-technological revolution, neither decoupling nor supply chain disruption is a solution,” Xi stressed. “Only mutually beneficial cooperation can lead to common development. ‘Small yard, high fence’ is not what a big country should pursue.”
Biden administration officials have said they will advise Trump’s team that handling intense competition with China will likely be the most significant foreign policy challenge they will face.
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Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report from Tokyo.
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.
