Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a stable relationship with cooperation as the mainstay, manageable differences and moderate competition as he began his US visit
China and the US should be “partners, not rivals”, Chinese President Xi Jinping asserted upon arriving in Washington, and he expressed confidence that the two can find a way to get along in the new era.
In a rare gesture, US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, when they landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday.
Trump welcomed Xi at the airport as the US Air Force band marched on the tarmac and the US and Chinese flags flew.
In a written speech on arrival, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the US people on behalf of the Chinese people, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
China and the US are “both great countries, and their peoples are great as well,” Xi said, adding that the two peoples have maintained friendly exchanges for a long time and that their interests are deeply intertwined.
China and the US “should be partners, not rivals,” he said, noting that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand, and that the two countries can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.
This is Xi’s first trip to Washington since 2015. Trade tariffs, technology, AI, military ties, conflicts in West Asia, the Russia-Ukraine war, the arms race in space and US arms sales to Taiwan are expected to figure in talks between Xi and Trump.
Xi said that he and Trump agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability during Trump’s visit to China in May, which has provided strategic guidance for the future development of bilateral ties.
This is the first time since 1962 that a US president has personally welcomed a foreign leader at the base, signalling the importance that Trump is giving this visit.
In 1962, then-President John F Kennedy greeted British PM Harold Macmillan.
China and the US should work in the same direction, promote a stable relationship featuring cooperation as the mainstay, moderate competition, manageable differences, and promises of peace, Xi said.
He said China and the US, as two major countries, should find a right way to get along in the new era.
He said the world is developing and times are changing, but the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States has not changed, the goodwill of friendly exchanges between the two peoples has not changed, and the general expectations of the international community for China and the US have not changed.
Xi said he looks forward to having in-depth exchanges with Trump on major issues concerning bilateral relations and the world situation, constantly enriching the connotation of the constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, and expanding the space for exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two countries.
Xi said he also looks forward to engaging extensively with people from all walks of life in the United States to deepen friendship.
With joint efforts, Xi said he believes the visit is sure to be fruitful, and will enhance the well-being of the two peoples and add hope for world peace.
The Chinese delegation comprises Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the General Office of the Central Committee, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee.
