US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (l.) and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a meeting in Beijing on October 9, 2023 (POOL / Andy Wong)
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called ties between Beijing and Washington crucial to “the future of humanity” during a visit by American senators as part of a diplomatic warming between the two powers.
“The relationship between China and the United States is the most important in the world,” he stressed to a delegation led by Democrat Chuck Schumer, the majority leader in the US Senate.
“How China and the United States cope in the face of a world in turmoil will be crucial to the future and fate of humanity,” he added.
In the morning, this delegation was received by Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“We hope that this visit will help the United States better understand China, view Sino-American relations more objectively and manage existing differences more rationally,” the Chinese diplomatic chief told them.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (3rd from left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd from right) during a meeting in Beijing on October 9, 2023 (POOL / Andy Wong)
China and the United States, which disagree on a range of issues, have renewed dialogue in recent months with a series of visits to Beijing by senior American officials.
“We must manage our relationship responsibly,” Chuck Schumer told Wang Yi, emphasizing that the United States “does not seek conflict.”
– Close relationships –
The delegation of American senators was also received by China’s People’s Congress President Zhao Leji on Monday.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (l) and Chairman of the People’s Congress of China Zhao Leji in Beijing on October 9, 2023 (POOL/Andy Wong)
“Our countries will shape this century together,” Mr. Schumer told him.
“As we are two major powers, it is natural for two major powers to compete in areas such as trade, technology and diplomacy, among others,” he added.
This trip of American senators to China comes at a time when a meeting between the leaders of both countries is planned.
Joe Biden on Friday mentioned a meeting with Xi Jinping during the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit scheduled for mid-November in San Francisco as a “possibility.”
“Such a meeting has not been organized, but it is a possibility,” he told the press when asked about the possibility.
However, bilateral relations remain tense, with trade disputes, Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and the Taiwan issue seen as stumbling blocks.
– “Very disappointed” –
On Monday, Chuck Schumer also criticized the stance of China, which called for “restraint” following clashes between the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and Israel.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (c) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (d), October 9, 2023 in Beijing (POOL/Andy Wong)
“To be honest, I was very disappointed by the statement … which showed no compassion or support for Israel in these difficult and troubled times,” he said.
Asked about these comments during a regular press conference, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mao Ning, assured that China was “very concerned about the continued escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Beijing “deplores the civilian losses caused by the conflict” and “rejects and condemns actions that harm civilians,” it added.
“The world today is in a time of turbulence and change,” Wang Yi had previously emphasized: “The crisis in Ukraine has not yet been resolved and war is raging again in the Middle East.”
“All these challenges must be addressed by the international community, and China and the United States must play their appropriate roles,” he said.
Chinese diplomacy, which facilitated the spectacular rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this year, regularly states that it wants to contribute to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which has been at a standstill since 2014.
Until recently, little involved in the Israeli-Palestinian issue compared to the United States, China, which otherwise maintains good relations with Israel, is now taking a more forceful stance on the issue.