US President Biden and China’s Xi exchange congratulations on 45 years of diplomatic relations

Asia-Pacific, News, US January 2, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

China’s President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden exchanged greetings on January 1, 2024, as the two leaders congratulated each other on completing 45 years of Sino-U.S. diplomatic relationship.

China is “willing to work” with the U.S. for a stable relationship, President Xi Jinping said in his message on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Xi called China and the U.S. forming ties “a major event” in the history of bilateral and international relations.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi said both countries have “weathered the storms and moved forward in general” which has enhanced the well-being of their peoples and contributed to world peace, stability, and prosperity.

Over the past 45 years, the U.S.-China relationship has gone through ups and downs and moved forward on the whole, which has not only enhanced the well-being of the two peoples but also promoted world peace, stability, and prosperity, Xi said in his statement.

He emphasized that he and Biden, in their San Francisco meeting, outlined a forward-looking “San Francisco vision” to guide the trajectory of China-U.S. relations. He urged both nations to diligently put into practice the crucial shared understandings and results achieved by the leaders, emphasizing the need for tangible steps to foster stable, robust, and sustainable development in bilateral relations.

Xi and Biden met in November last year on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in San Francisco. The highly anticipated four-hour-long summit concluded with the U.S. president saying the discussions made “real progress.” Biden and Xi discussed opportunities to enhance China-U.S. collaboration in anti-fentanyl efforts, military dialogue, AI, and climate action.

Xi underscored his willingness to collaborate with Biden to further navigate the path of China-U.S. relations, aiming to bring mutual benefits to both nations and their citizens while contributing to global peace and development.

US China summit in San Francisco — ^{Biden and Xi led the expanded bilateral meeting in California on November 15, 2023. The meeting included a dozen government officials from China and the U.S. including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan as well as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and chief of staff Cai Qi. (Image Credit: Xinhua)}

The relations between Beijing and Washington have been frosty in recent decades, especially at the start of Biden’s term in the White House. However, the tension seems to be easing up as the leadership from the world’s top economies has shown signs of frequent conducting bilateral talks.

The U.S. is on the brink of the presidential election scheduled for November 2024, wherein the former president and a critic of China, Donald Trump, is actively engaged in a campaign to secure a return for a second term.

The outcome of this electoral clash will not only determine the leadership of the nation but will also have profound implications for domestic policies, international relations, and approaches towards critical issues such as the China-U.S. relationship.

New Year’s wishes

China’s president released several New Year’s wishes to the world leaders, most prominently to North Korea and Russia. Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged New Year’s messages, jointly declaring 2024 as a “friendship year” for both nations. The Chinese foreign ministry reported that this initiative will kick off a series of activities aimed at strengthening the bond between the two countries.

President Xi engaged in mutual greetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The year 2024 year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China by Mao Zedong and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia.

The exchange of warm wishes between the leaders signifies the enduring nature of their diplomatic ties and highlights the historical significance of three-quarters of a century of collaboration between the two nations.