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January 19, 2017

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China and US ‘must have stable links’

THE world needs China and the United States to have a stable and cooperative relationship, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US Vice President Joe Biden, as new uncertainty looms with Donald Trump taking office tomorrow as America’s president.

Meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Xi told Biden that he “positively appraised” his efforts to increase friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries, China’s Foreign Ministry said late on Tuesday.

“In the 38 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, relations between the two countries have weathered wind and rain, but generally have continued to forge ahead,” Xi said.

Under President Barack Obama, there had been a “correct” development in relations, and important and positive results achieved, with trade and people-to-people exchanges reaching new highs, Xi added.

“The basic interests of the people of both countries and the world need China and the United States to work hard, to form a long-term, stable cooperative relationship,” Xi said.

Biden responded that the United States hoped the two countries could continue to deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation.

Trump, who takes office tomorrow, has rattled China with threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and by questioning Washington’s commitment to the “One-China” policy, under which America acknowledges that Taiwan is part of China.

China yesterday urged the United States not to allow a Taiwanese delegation to attend Trump’s inauguration.

Trump broke with decades of precedent last month by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen, and he has also said the “One-China” policy was up for negotiation.

A spokesman for Tsai’s office said yesterday no meetings were scheduled with the new Trump administration while the delegation was in the US for Friday’s inauguration.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China was opposed Taiwan using any excuse to send people to the US to “engage in activities to interfere in or damage China-US ties.”

“We again urge the relevant side in the United States not to allow the Taiwan authority to send a so-called delegation to the United States to attend the presidential inauguration and not have any form of official contact with Taiwan,” Hua told reporters at a regular press briefing.

“China’s position has already accurately and unmistakably been given to the US administration and Trump’s team,” she said.

In Washington, a top aide to US President Obama on Tuesday reiterated the stance of the current administration that the “One-China” policy is “not negotiable,” slamming any effort to reopen the issue as “dangerous.”

“It’s not negotiable in the sense that our entire relationship with China is founded upon the One-China policy. That was a basis for the Shanghai Communique and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations,” Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said at a briefing.

Rhodes called the One-China policy “an agreement we reached with the biggest country in the world” and “the framework under which we do everything.”

Rhodes warned the upcoming US administration against seeking a new approach to the issue, calling such potential move “dangerous” and “destabilizing.”

“It’s dangerous. The risk of escalation in the Taiwan Strait is just a flashpoint the world does not need right now. The United States certainly doesn’t,” Rhodes said.

He added that he does not see any benefit to the US in changing the long-standing policy.

“China is not going to negotiate anything, so I am not sure what is accomplished by pursuing an approach where you seek to reopen it,” he said. “Getting into the space of something like Taiwan just risks destabilizing that relationship without any potential benefit that I can foresee.”




 

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