Zach Crawford
“I’m glad to see an old friend”: Xi Jinping breaks protocol and greets Joe Biden on the other side of the screen, sitting in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Not long ago, the US president, at the opening of the highly anticipated virtual summit with the Beijing leader, had emphasized how he and Xi had known each other for so long and how their personal relationship had always consisted of less formal gestures and words. .
In short, the desire to melt appears immediately, and it is this that gives way to a face-to-face confrontation that lasted about three hours and tones that are “frank and frank,” as reported in both Washington and Beijing. “Not only in front of our peoples but in front of the whole world we bear the responsibility to responsibly manage the competition between our two countries,” an appeal made by Biden and accepted by Xi, who said he was ready to work for the development of US-China relations while emphasizing that this is only possible through mutual respect. . After the compliments and declaration of intent, the two leaders did not rule out. The White House tenant said he is deeply concerned about what the United States sees as a violation of human rights in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Then he called on Beijing to respect the rules on the economic and trade front, and spoke of “unfair practices” that harm American companies and workers. Hence the Taiwan issue. Biden warned the Chinese president against unilateral measures that change the status quo and undermine peace and stability in the region.
Xi’s response was harsh, emphasizing the sacredness of the “one China” principle: “Seeking Taiwan independence means playing with fire,” he said frankly. And again: “If the red line is crossed, we will have to take decisive action.” A clear and unmistakable message. Even as the Chinese president said he hoped Biden could fully demonstrate his leadership and “push the US policy toward China to return to the rational and pragmatic path”, while respecting “the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation for both sides.” In short, it is still too early to Talking about the real thaw, but Biden and Xi are identifying in the fight against climate change and in the energy field the two areas in which a fruitful cooperation between the United States and China must begin and try. A new opening has been in relations that have never fallen so far in decades.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said again in the virtual summit with his US counterpart Joe Biden. “We are ready to conduct dialogue on human rights issues on the basis of mutual respect, but we do not accept their use to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs,” Xi added, according to Xinhua.
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Laurence Malcom
