Xi urges US to view China properly

Consistency of Beijing's policy on Washington highlighted

By ZHANG YUNBI, CHINA DAILY, Aug 29: When President Xi Jinping met with visiting United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday afternoon, he highlighted the need for the US to perceive China properly as well as Beijing's foreign policy consistency.

"When China and the US, two major countries, engage with each other, the No 1 issue is to develop a correct strategic perception, and they need to first and foremost find an answer to the overarching question: Are China and the US rivals or partners?" Xi told the senior US official at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Thursday was the final day of Sullivan's three-day visit to China, the first in his current post. Together with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he co-chaired the two-day China-US strategic communication, which concluded on Wednesday.

Xi said that as two major countries, China and the US should be responsible to history, the people and the world, and "should be a source of stability for world peace and a driving force for common development".

Xi expressed the hope that the US will work in the same direction with China, "view China and its development in a positive and rational light" and "see each other's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge".

He called on Washington to work with Beijing to find a right way for China and the US — two countries with different civilizations, systems and paths — to "coexist in peace and achieve common development on this planet".

The two nations should promote the stability of bilateral ties and, on this basis, strive to improve them and move them forward, he added.

Sullivan conveyed US President Joe Biden's greetings to Xi and thanked Xi for taking the time to meet with him.

He reiterated that Washington does not seek a new Cold War and does not seek to change China's system, and that the revitalization of US alliances is not against China, the US does not support "Taiwan independence", and it does not seek conflict with China.

The US has not changed its one-China policy and has no intention of using the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China, he added.

Analysts noted that Beijing and Washington had candid and adequate discussions and even debate at the recently concluded China-US strategic communication, and its outcomes include further dialogue and collaboration involving areas such as the two militaries, climate change and artificial intelligence.

As part of bilateral cooperation on energy transition and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, US senior adviser for international climate policy John Podesta is set to meet with China's special envoy for climate change Liu Zhenmin during the first week of September.