China's top diplomat in the United States has shared new details on agreements reached between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent summit in Washington, as well as four issues on which he said the White House would have to respect Beijing's position. Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng participated directly in the ceremony surrounding Xi's first visit to the U.S. in more than a decade last Wednesday. He hailed Trump's grand welcome as having met "the highest-standard protocol." Beyond the ceremony, Xie offered Newsweek an exclusive look in a written interview at what was discussed and Beijing's expectations following a summit he said "made history and set a new milestone" in U.S.-China engagement.
These include a number of "key deliverables and understandings." They cover fostering closer direct ties between the two presidents, maintaining a stable relationship between the two powers, creating new areas of cooperation on trade, anti-narcotics and military communication, cultivating cultural exchanges and issuing mutual commitments to world peace. On artificial intelligence (AI), Xie introduced the Chinese leader's message to Trump and issued a call for cooperation in this field for the sake of humanity. Xie also outlined discussions surrounding the U.S. war with Iran, on which Beijing supports the return of a ceasefire.
Xie acknowledged both "extensive common interests" and "differences and disagreements" between the U.S. and China. He identified "four red lines" from Beijing's side on "the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China’s path and system, and China’s development right." These are issues on which he said China "should not be challenged." "The two sides also need to make good use of the political and diplomatic channel, as well as the economic and trade consultation mechanism, to build trust, dispel misgivings, seek common ground while managing differences, and properly address each other’s concerns, so as to install a buffer for bilateral relations," Xie said. Newsweek: The meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping was among the most highly anticipated events in September.
Both sides described the visit and the talks as positive, constructive and friendly. Some observers were somewhat surprised by the extent to which President Trump praised President Xi during their summit. A lot of attention was also dedicated to the degree of protocol and ceremony dedicated by the White House for the summit.
Having personally participated in the whole process, what is your impression of the significance of the summit? Xie Feng: It was indeed a great honor to participate in the whole visit and witness the historic moment. In every way, this visit has made history and set a new milestone in engagement between China and the United States.
First, this was the first state visit by President Xi Jinping to the U.S. after 11 years. During the past 11 years, tremendous changes have taken place in China, the U.S., the China-U.S. relationship, and also the entire world. Through President Xi’s visit to the U.S. at President Trump’s invitation, both sides have reaffirmed the strategic value of the China-U.S. relationship in the new era.
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