Trump/Biden/Kissinger and Xi on China

[Randy W]

NATO declares China a security challenge for the first time
NATO lists China as one of its strategic priorities for the next decade, saying Beijing’s policies challenge its ‘interests, security and values’.

from AL Jazeera

 

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NATO has listed China as one of its strategic priorities for the first time, saying Beijing’s ambitions and its “coercive policies” challenge the Western bloc’s “interests, security and values”.

The alliance’s new blueprint, or Strategic Concept, that lays out its priorities for the next decade, was approved at a leader’s summit in Spain on Wednesday.

The document directed its harshest language towards Russia, which it described as “the most significant and direct threat” to the alliance’s peace and security, but said Beijing’s military ambitions, its confrontational rhetoric towards Taiwan and its increasingly close ties with Moscow posed “systemic challenges”.

“China is substantially building up its military forces, including nuclear weapons, bullying its neighbours, threatening Taiwan … monitoring and controlling its own citizens through advanced technology, and spreading Russian lies and disinformation,” NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

“China is not our adversary,” he added, “but we must be clear-eyed about the serious challenges it represents.”

In response, China on Thursday said it “firmly” opposed NATO’s declaration, calling it a “completely futile” warning.

 

 

[Randy W]

China wil need to learn to speak up for itself - they won't be able to rely on being able to convince the West to see things their way.

US’s Blinken raises China’s ‘alignment with Russia’ on Ukraine
US Secretary of State tells reporters he told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Beijing was not acting ‘neutral’ on Ukraine and is helping amplify ‘Russian propaganda’.

from AL Jazeera 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia July 9, 2022 [Stefani Reynolds/Pool via Reuters]

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“The relationship between the United States and China is highly consequential for our countries but also for the world. We are committed to managing this relationship, this competition, responsibly,” he said, promising to keep open channels of diplomacy with Beijing

After the meeting, a US official said “neither side held back” during the talks.

“We were very open about where our differences are … but the meeting was also constructive because, despite the candour, the tone was very professional,” the official said.

Blinken said Chinese President Xi Jinping had made it clear in a call with President Vladimir Putin on June 13 that he stood by a decision to form a partnership with Russia.

Shortly before Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow announced a “no limits” partnership, although US officials say they have not seen China evade tough US-led sanctions on Russia or provide it with military equipment.

 

 

[Randy W]

Readout of President Biden’s Call with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China

JULY 28, 2022•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

from the White House Briefing Room

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. spoke today with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The call was a part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the PRC and responsibly manage our differences and work together where our interests align. The call follows the two leaders’ conversation on March 18^th and a series of conversations between high-level U.S. and PRC officials. The two presidents discussed a range of issues important to the bilateral relationship and other regional and global issues, and tasked their teams to continue following up on today’s conversation, in particular to address climate change and health security. On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

 . . . and Al Jazeera's take. No surprise - both men were talking - no one was listening.

Xi warns Biden against ‘playing with fire’ over Taiwan
Two hour call between the two leaders comes amid escalating tensions over a potential Taiwan visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Biden is weighing whether to ease some Trump-era tariffs on Chinese-manufactured goods in order to lessen the impact of growing inflation in the US [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

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“Those who play with fire will only get burnt,” Xi was quoted as telling Biden. “[We] hope the US side can see this clearly.”

The White House said in a statement that Biden told Xi that US policy had not changed and Washington “strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” – the body of water separating the island from mainland China.

Following the call, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it thanked Biden for his support and would continue to deepen its security partnership with the United States.

 . . .

Michael Swaine, the director of the Quincy Institute’s East Asia programme, said despite the two hour discussion there was no indication of any “meaningful” dialogue.

“Neither is really addressing the interests and concerns of the other,” he told Al Jazeera from Maryland in the US. “It’s really in some ways a dialogue of the deaf.”

 

 

[Randy W]

Exclusive: U.S. considers China sanctions to deter Taiwan action, Taiwan presses EU

from Reuters

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The sources said the deliberations in Washington and Taipei's separate lobbying of EU envoys were both at an early stage -- a response to fears of a Chinese invasion which have grown as military tensions escalate in the Taiwan Strait.

In both cases, the idea is to take sanctions beyond measures already taken in the West to restrict some trade and investment with China in sensitive technologies like computer chips and telecoms equipment. 

The sources did not provide any details of what is being considered but the notion of sanctions on the world's second-largest economy and one of the global supply chain's biggest links raises questions of feasibility.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Biden says Xi meeting at G20 summit would discuss US-China ‘red lines’

• On Taiwan, American leader declines to comment on whether he would confirm to his counterpart defending self-ruled island if Beijing attacked
• Biden suggests he could also discuss China’s growing nuclear arsenal as well as ‘fair trade’ issues

US President Joe Biden holds a press conference at the White House on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
 

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US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he would discuss American “red lines” over Taiwan among other issues during an expected meeting next week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“Look, I’m not willing to make any fundamental concessions,” Biden said during a post-election press conference at the White House, when asked if he would tell Xi whether the US would defend the self-ruled island from a Chinese attack.

“What I want to do with him when we talk is lay out what each of our red lines are, understand what he believes to be in the critical national interests of China, what I know to be in the critical interests in the United States, and to determine whether or not they conflict with one another,” he said. “And if they do, how to resolve and how to work it out.”

 

 

[Randy W]

‘How to work it out’: Biden’s agenda for talks with Xi Jinping at G20 summit in Bali

A senior US official has confirmed Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden are expected to meet in person on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/1541008483001717/

[Randy W]

I'm still unsure of her credentials, but I'm not seeing any other news about this

Quote

Description
With my Chinese background and experience in finance, censorship, media, and totalitarian government, I offer a fresh perspective in analyzing and interpreting world political and economic events with a focus on China and Chinese economy. I believe that wisdom is knowing the value of kindness, and courage grows from being selfless. Those values have guided me through each step in making these videos.

Decoding Xi Jinping's strong war rhetoric given on U.S. election day

November 8 was the United States mid-term elections. Chinese leader Xi Jinping donned camouflage and visited the Chinese military's joint operations command center. He also announced his 4th job title, in addition to being the head of the CCP, the head of the military and the head of the state. The day before, the Chinese PLA sent the most military aircraft near Taiwan since the military exercises during Nancy Pelosi's visit. Who is he warning? Let's take an in-depth look.

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

From CNN's Meanwhile in China newsletter

Biden and Xi return to the table with high stakes – and low expectations

When Joe Biden and Xi Jinping first got to know each other more than 10 years ago, the US and China had been moving closer for three decades despite their differences. “The trajectory of the relationship is nothing but positive, and it’s overwhelmingly in the mutual interest of both our countries,” Biden said in 2011 when, as vice president, he visited Beijing to build a personal relationship with China’s then leader-in-waiting. Seated next to Xi in a Beijing hotel, Biden told a room of Chinese and American business leaders about his “great optimism about the next 30 years” for bilateral relations and praised Xi for being “straightforward.” “Only friends and equals can serve each other by being straightforward and honest with them,” he said. On Monday, the two leaders are set to meet each other for another honest exchange in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit. But the mood in the room is unlikely to be as balmy as the surrounding location. The positivity and optimism of a decade ago has been replaced by mutual suspicion and hostility. When Biden returned to the White House as President, he was handed a US-China relationship in its worst shape in decades, with tensions flaring across trade, technology, geopolitics and ideology. The upcoming meeting — the first in-person encounter between Biden and Xi since the US President took office — comes at a crucial time for both leaders. Having further consolidated his power at last month’s Communist Party Congress, Xi is heading into the meeting as the strongest Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. Biden, meanwhile, arrived in Asia following a better-than-expected performance by his party in the US midterm elections — with the Democrats projected to keep the Senate in a major victory. Asked Sunday whether the results allowed him to go into Monday’s face-to-face with a stronger hand, Biden voiced confidence. “I know I’m coming in stronger,” he told reporters. The stakes of their much-anticipated meeting are high. In a world reeling from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic and the devastation of climate change, the two major powers need to work together more than ever to instill stability — instead of driving deeper tensions along geopolitical fault lines. But expectations for the meeting are low. Locked in an intensifying great power rivalry, the US and China disagree with each other on just about every major issue, from Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, North Korea, the transfer of technology to the shape of the world order. Perhaps the only real common ground the two sides share going into the meeting is their limited hopes for what might come out of it. A senior White House official said Thursday Biden wants to use the talks to “build a floor” for the relationship — in other words, to prevent it from free falling into open conflict. The main objective of the sit-down is not about reaching agreements or deliverables — the two leaders will not release any joint statement afterward — but about gaining a better understanding of each other’s priorities and reducing misconceptions, according to the US official. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan reinforced the message Saturday to reporters aboard Air Force One, noting the meeting is unlikely to result in any major breakthroughs or dramatic shifts in the relationship. Hopes for a reset with Washington are similarly low in Beijing. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University, said it would be an “enormous over-expectation” to believe the meeting can lead to any lasting and significant improvement in bilateral ties. “Given that China and the US are in a state of near-total rivalry and confrontation, there is not much possibility to anticipate that the major issues can be truly clarified,” Shi said.

 

 

[Randy W]

From NY Times reporting in Bali
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/11/14/world/biden-xi-meeting?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

According to the U.S. summary of the talks, Biden explained “in detail” that the United States remains committed to the “one China” policy that acknowledges Beijing’s claims to the island, without accepting or endorsing that claim. But Biden also raised objections to China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan.”

 

Katie Rogers

Nov. 14, 2022, 8:26 a.m. ET17 minutes ago

17 minutes ago

Katie RogersReporting from Bali, Indonesia

 

President Biden also raised China’s human rights record with Xi Jinping and said resolving the cases of American citizens detained in China is a priority for the administration.

 

Katie Rogers

Nov. 14, 2022, 8:25 a.m. ET18 minutes ago

18 minutes ago

Katie RogersReporting from Bali, Indonesia

 

President Biden raised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and threats by the Russians to use nuclear weapons. Both leaders “reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought.”

 

Katie Rogers

Nov. 14, 2022, 8:23 a.m. ET20 minutes ago

20 minutes ago

Katie RogersReporting from Bali, Indonesia

 

In a readout of the meeting, the White House says that President Biden said that the United States would oppose any “unilateral changes” to the status quo on Taiwan by either side and that the United States objects to China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive reactions” toward Taiwan.

 

Katie Rogers

Nov. 14, 2022, 8:23 a.m. ET20 minutes ago

20 minutes ago

Katie RogersReporting from Bali, Indonesia

 

The White House said that Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, would follow up on their discussions in a future visit to China.

 

Chris Buckley

Nov. 14, 2022, 8:14 a.m. ET30 minutes ago

30 minutes ago

Chris BuckleyReporting from Bali, Indonesia

 

Among the Chinese officials in Xi Jinping’s delegation was Ding Xuexiang, a close aide who almost always travels with the top leader and helps him manage party matters. Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, who was at a rancorous meeting in Anchorage with President Biden’s two senior diplomats early last year, also attended.

Edited November 14, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3199565/xi-biden-meet-bali-each-leader-riding-high-home?utm_medium=email&utm_source=cm&utm_campaign=enlz-breaking_news&utm_content=20221114&UUID=9befe633-16d2-403c-8ace-976a9b0c421c&tc=2&CMCampaignID=1479fbfb232bc13c97c94bc11138b719

Taiwan was a major agenda item in the talks. Biden said the US opposed any unilateral changes “by either side” to the status quo of the Taiwan Strait, and objected to Beijing’s “increasingly aggressive actions” towards the self-ruled island.

Xi said Taiwan was the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“We hope to see and always strive to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but ‘Taiwan independence’ is incompatible with peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Xi was quoted as saying.

[Randy W]

Key messages western media have missed in Xi-Biden summit

from China Daily

Xinhua | Updated: 2022-11-15 22:13

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While western media outlets have covered the high-profile meeting extensively, they might have missed some of the key messages that came out of the event, just as follows:

President Xi said:

-- As leaders of two major countries, the two presidents need to play the leadership role, set the right course for the China-U.S. relationship and put it on an upward trajectory.

-- A statesman should think about and know where to lead his country. He should also think about and know how to get along with other countries and the wider world.

-- The domestic and foreign policies of the CPC and the Chinese government are open and transparent, with clearly stated and transparent strategic intentions and great continuity and stability.

-- China-US relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side out-competes or thrives at the expense of the other. The successes of China and the United States are opportunities, not challenges, for each other. The world is big enough for the two countries to develop themselves and prosper together.

-- The two sides should form a correct perception of each other's domestic and foreign policies and strategic intentions. China-US interactions should be defined by dialogue and win-win cooperation, not confrontation and zero-sum competition.

-- Observing the basic norms of international relations and the three China-U.S. joint communiques is vitally important for the two sides to manage differences and disagreements and prevent confrontation and conflict. It is indeed the most important guardrail and safety net for China-US relations.

-- No country has a perfect democratic system, and there is always a need for development and improvement.

-- The so-called "democracy versus authoritarianism" narrative is not the defining feature of today's world, still less does it represent the trend of the times.

-- Instead of talking in one way and acting in another, the United States needs to honor its commitments with concrete action.

President Biden said:

-- I hereby reaffirm that a stable and prosperous China is good for the United States and the world, and the United States respects China's system, and does not seek to change it.

-- The United States does not seek a new Cold War, does not seek to revitalize alliances against China, does not support "Taiwan independence," does not support "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," and has no intention to have a conflict with China, and has no intention to seek "de-coupling" from China, to halt China's economic development, or to contain China.

After the high-profile meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said:

-- The US side should translate President Biden's positive remarks into concrete policies and actions, and stop containing and suppressing China, refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop undermining China's sovereignty, security and development interests, so as to work with China in the same direction.

 

 . . . and the big question remains - When will China invade Taiwan?

[Randy W]

Xi lectures Trudeau

China’s Xi Scolds Trudeau Over a Conversation Made Public
The exchange, in which China’s leader accused the Canadian leader of leaking details of a brief conversation they had, happened at the end of a summit in Indonesia.

from the NY Times

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A brief scolding that the Chinese leader Xi Jinping gave to Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, at the end of a summit in Indonesia has offered a glimpse into Mr. Xi’s muscular style of personal diplomacy.

A short video caught by a news cameraman shows Mr. Xi smiling tightly as he spoke to Mr. Trudeau at a concluding reception for the Group of 20 meeting in Bali on Wednesday.

But the words that came out of Mr. Xi’s mouth were chilly.

Mr. Xi chided Mr. Trudeau, accusing him of leaking details of a brief conversation they had the previous day.

“Everything we discussed has been leaked to the paper. That’s not appropriate,” Mr. Xi says, speaking through a translator. Mr. Trudeau nods curtly. Mr. Xi shakes his head, telling Mr. Trudeau, “that’s not the way the conversation was conducted.”

Mr. Xi goes on to say that “sincerity” is needed for fruitful discussion. “Otherwise, the outcome will be hard to say,” he adds. But before his words can be fully translated, Mr. Trudeau responds.

“In Canada we believe in free and open and frank dialogue,” he says. Mr. Xi looks away, his wan smile has gone, as Mr. Trudeau adds: “We will continue to look to work constructively together, but there will be things we will disagree on.”

Mr. Xi has the final word before the two leaders move on: “Let’s create the conditions first.” After one brisk handshake, the men part ways.

 

 

[Randy W]

 

China’s Xi rebukes Trudeau at G20, chides Canadian leader for ‘leaking’ meeting details

‘That’s not appropriate’ - Watch the moment Xi Jinping rebuked Justin Trudeau over ‘media leaks’.

https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/1829801307386051/

SCMP version of Xi rebuke

[Randy W]

Xi Looks Away From Putin Toward West in World Stage Return

from Bloomberg News via Yahoo News

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Turns out Chinese President Xi Jinping’s partnership with Vladimir Putin has limits after all: He doesn’t want to follow the Russian leader into diplomatic isolation.

With speeches and gestures in recent weeks, Xi has taken his most significant steps to create space between Beijing and Moscow since Putin invaded Ukraine almost nine months ago. The latest signal came at the Group of 20 summit on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, where China signed off on a communique Wednesday saying that “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine.”

“The Russian president is almost alone in the world with his policy and has no strong alliance partner,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who met Xi in Beijing earlier this month, told reporters in Bali on Wednesday. He noted the statement’s “astonishingly clear words.”

That show of solidarity followed a series of relatively warm meetings between Xi and world leaders who have led the campaign to punish Moscow, including his first sit-down with US President Joe Biden on Monday. In those talks, Xi reinforced his opposition to the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine -- a stance that outlines China’s red lines without abandoning Russia altogether.