Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden met on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru, on Saturday. Their discussion underscored the importance of stabilizing and strengthening the complex relationship between the world’s two largest economies, which has been marked by both cooperation and tension in recent years.
During the meeting, Xi acknowledged that while China-U.S. relations had faced significant challenges over the past four years, dialogue and cooperation had been key in maintaining stability. He emphasized that under the leadership of both presidents, the two countries had worked through consultations to establish guiding principles for their relationship. These principles have helped to bring China-U.S. relations back on track, with more than 20 communication mechanisms being established or restored. These efforts have resulted in positive outcomes in various areas, including diplomacy, security, trade, climate change, law enforcement, and people-to-people exchanges.
Xi highlighted several critical lessons from the past four years that could shape the future of China-U.S. relations. First, he stressed the importance of strategic perception, noting that the idea of a “Thucydides Trap” the notion that a rising power inevitably causes conflict with an established one is not a historical inevitability. Xi also warned that the U.S. should avoid containment strategies against China, as such actions would be unwise and bound to fail.
Second, Xi emphasized the need for both nations to match words with actions, stressing that credibility is vital to maintaining trust. A failure to honor commitments could undermine bilateral relations, especially if one side says one thing but does another.
The third principle Xi outlined was the importance of treating each other as equals. As two major countries, China and the U.S. should not seek to impose their will on each other or undermine the other’s legitimate right to development. He also pointed to the need to respect red lines, particularly on issues like Taiwan, human rights, and China’s development path. For China, these red lines are fundamental guardrails for the relationship.
Xi also emphasized the need for more dialogue and cooperation, highlighting shared interests in areas such as climate change, AI, public health, and security. He stressed that a cooperative approach could lead to a win-win scenario, benefiting both nations and contributing to global stability.
For his part, Biden reiterated the U.S. stance that the China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, not only for the two nations but for global peace and prosperity. He emphasized that while competition is natural, it should not escalate into conflict. Biden also noted that since his last meeting with Xi in San Francisco, the two countries had made tangible progress on military-to-military relations, AI, climate change, and people-to-people exchanges.
Both presidents expressed their commitment to managing differences responsibly and to ensuring that competition between their nations does not spiral into conflict. They agreed to uphold the guiding principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and open communication. Notably, Biden reaffirmed that the U.S. remains committed to the one-China policy and does not seek a new Cold War or to change China’s system.
The leaders also addressed key global challenges, including the Taiwan issue, where Xi made clear that any support for “Taiwan independence” would be detrimental to peace across the Taiwan Strait. On cybersecurity, Xi rejected the accusation of China being involved in cyberattacks, underscoring that China itself is a victim of such attacks.
In a significant moment, both Xi and Biden discussed the role of AI, agreeing to enhance international cooperation to ensure that AI benefits humanity as a whole. They also reaffirmed their commitment to controlling the use of nuclear weapons, emphasizing human control over such decisions.
The meeting ended on a positive note, with both leaders agreeing to continue their strategic dialogue and strengthen communication to maintain stability in China-U.S. relations. This diplomatic encounter marks an important step in reducing tensions and paving the way for more cooperation between the two global superpowers. The outcome of this meeting could have far-reaching implications for global stability, as the world looks to China and the U.S. for leadership in addressing complex global challenges.
