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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Xi Jinping and Antony Blinken cap China trip with vow to steady ties to ward off conflict

  • The world needs a stable China-US relationship and rivalry cannot solve problems in the United States, Chinese president tells Blinken
  • US secretary of state says visit was a positive step but there is still far to go to solve every problem between the two countries

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) greets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Dewey SimandOrange Wang
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s landmark trip to China ended on Monday with a commitment from both countries to try to stabilise ties to prevent their intensifying rivalry from descending into conflict.
The closely watched two-day visit wrapped up with a meeting between Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who told the visiting diplomat that the world needed a stable US-China relationship and that the two countries should handle ties with a sense of responsibility.
“Whether China and the US can get along correctly has a bearing on the future and the destiny of humankind,” he said, adding that the success of each country should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Xi told Blinken that rivalry between great powers could not solve problems in the United States or challenges facing the world, and the two powers should seek to respect each other’s interests.

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“China respects the interests of the United States and will not challenge or replace the United States. Similarly, the United States must also respect China and not harm China’s legitimate rights and interests.

“Neither party can shape the other according to its own wishes, let alone deprive the other of its legitimate right to development.”

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The Chinese leader said countries around the world had aired concerns over worsening US-China ties and they did not want to witness conflict or confrontation between the two major powers.

02:03

Blinken and Qin Gang agree to continue talks after ‘constructive’ US-China meeting in Beijing

Blinken and Qin Gang agree to continue talks after ‘constructive’ US-China meeting in Beijing
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