Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that relations between his country and the United States are at a critical stage, calling for cooperation instead of confrontation between the two nations.
According to China's CGTN network, Xi stated during a phone call with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, today: "Despite differences in views on certain issues, disputes must be resolved on the basis of mutual respect," emphasizing the need to manage conflicts and focus on cooperation to advance bilateral relations. Xi called for in-depth discussions between the two countries regarding bilateral relations as well as major regional and global issues, urging the American side to deal cautiously with matters concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang, considering them as China's internal affairs.
Xi noted that as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the two countries bear special international responsibilities and duties, and therefore both sides must play their roles in promoting global peace and development.
On the eighth of this month, China reaffirmed its commitment to developing relations with the United States based on mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. On his part, the Associated Press reported that Biden discussed trade and human rights issues during his first call with Xi and expressed his fundamental concerns regarding human rights violations in the Xinjiang region. The agency noted that Biden also conveyed his key concerns regarding China's strict measures in Hong Kong and emphasized that the priority is to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
