Xi says US, China should be partners, not rivals, after airport welcome by Trump
Xi says China and US should work in same direction, promote stable relationship, moderate competition, manageable differences, and promises of peace
Chinese President has called for Beijing and Washington to be partners rather than rivals and expressed confidence that the two can find the right way to get along in the new era, soon after he arrived in the US on Wednesday (September 23) for his three-day visit.
‘We should be partners, not rivals’
“Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals,” state news agency Xinhua quoted the Chinese president as saying in written remarks on his visit.
“China and the US are both great countries, and the two peoples are both great peoples,” Xi said in written remarks.
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He spoke about the long-standing friendly exchanges between Americans and the Chinese, and how the interests of the two countries are “deeply intertwined”.
Xi’s remarks come ahead of his much-awaited talks with US President Donald Trump.
Xi calls for stable US-China ties
In a rare gesture, Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, when they landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday.
Xi noted that he and Trump had agreed to build a China-US relationship of strategic stability during Trump's visit to China in May, which has provided guidance for the future development of bilateral ties.
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.
‘Rejuvenation' of Chinese nation and MAGA
He said that the US and Chinese people have maintained friendly exchanges for a long time and their interests are deeply intertwined.
“The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again (MAGA) can go hand in hand, complementing each other and benefit the world,” he said.
The historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the US has not changed, Xi said, adding that he looks forward to in-depth exchanges with Trump on major issues concerning bilateral ties and world situations.
(With inputs from agencies)