LIMA :Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday vowed to work with the incoming US administration of President-elect Donald Trump as he held his final talks with outgoing President Joe Biden on key conflicts from cyber crime to trade, Taiwan and Russia.
Biden met Xi for about two hours at a hotel where the Chinese leader was staying, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima, Peru, for their first talks in seven months.
“China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged,” following the election, Xi said, acknowledging “ups and downs” between the countries.
“China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences.”
Biden told Xi that the two leaders haven’t always agreed but their discussions have been “frank” and “candid.”
The talks come two months before Trump assumes office. He has vowed to adopt blanket 60% tariffs on U.S. imports of Chinese goods as part of a package of “America First” trade measures.
Beijing opposes those steps. The Republican president-elect also plans to hire several hawkish voices on China in senior roles, including U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Representative Mike Waltz as national security adviser.
Biden has aimed to lower tensions with China, but Washington is incensed by a recent China-linked hack of the telephone communications of U.S. government and presidential campaign officials, and it is anxious about increasing pressure by Beijing on Taiwan and Chinese support for Russia.
