© REUTERS
China is willing to negotiate with the United States “at all levels.” The Chinese vice president said this on Wednesday, ahead of a planned meeting in San Francisco between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden next week.
Recent high-level meetings between top Chinese and American officials have led to “positive signals” pointing to an improvement in bilateral ties, Vice President Han Zheng said on the sidelines of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore.
“We are willing to strengthen communication and dialogue with the United States at all levels, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, properly settle disputes and jointly tackle global challenges,” Han said Zheng.
Renew dialogue
In recent years, relations between Washington and Beijing have reached a low point on a number of issues, including export controls, human rights and national security. But both countries appear to want to renew dialogue and Washington has already sent several top officials to Beijing this year.
The White House previously reported that Biden and Jinping would speak at the APEC summit, the partnership between 21 countries around the Pacific Ocean, in San Francisco in mid-November. China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that both leaders had agreed to meet, but warned that the “road to San Francisco is not smooth.” “We cannot be on autopilot,” a ministry spokesperson said at a press conference.
Zheng in turn reiterated on Wednesday, echoing Jinping, that ties between Beijing and Washington are of decisive importance “for the future of humanity.” “The world is big enough that both countries can develop and prosper together,” it said.
