China US Photo:VCG

 
Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng commended the signs of a more stable China-US relationship, but said the relations are still facing grave challenges. To move toward a potential meeting between the presidents in San Francisco, it is important to return to the Bali consensus, enhance whole-process management, and work in the same direction, he said.

The remarks were made when he attended the Hong Kong Forum on US-China Relations 2023 via video link on Thursday amid the background that Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are scheduled to start two days of meetings in San Francisco on Thursday US time, as China and the US are under a fresh round of economic and trade talks.

As China-US relations suffered from serious difficulties in the past few years and hit the lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic ties, there has also been a growing call for stopping the downward spiral.

Ambassador Xie said that under guidance of the presidents of the two countries with joint efforts of both sides, there have been some positive signs of a more stable China-US relationship recently. The two sides have conducted a series of high-level interactions, launched a series of dialogue mechanisms, and reignited exchanges and cooperation at various levels. 

All these have together sent out a positive signal of stabilizing China-US relations. Both sides believe that it is beneficial and necessary for the two countries to maintain dialogue, both share the hope to stabilize and improve bilateral relations as soon as possible, and both have agreed to work together toward a meeting between the two presidents in San Francisco, Xie said. 

Xie said that China-US relations are still facing grave challenges, and there remains a long way to go to stabilize and improve the bilateral relationship. 

The top priority is for both sides to make joint efforts toward a meeting between the two presidents in San Francisco. To move toward San Francisco, it is important to return to the Bali consensus, and earnestly act on the important common understanding reached between the two presidents in Bali; to enhance whole-process management, foster a sound atmosphere before dialogue, build up positive outcomes during the process, and take solid follow-up actions afterwards; and to work in the same direction, clear obstacles and manage differences with concrete actions, and enhance dialogue and cooperation in good faith, Xie said.

Ambassador Xie said that as the world is emerging from the pandemic, China-US relations also need to come out of the woods. He encouraged people from various sectors in both countries to travel more and have more dialogue and exchanges, so as to gradually thaw the ice of misunderstanding and misperception, and build bridges for mutual understanding.

Notably, coming just days before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation informal leaders' meeting in San Francisco, the new round of economic and trade talks is a major development in rapidly intensifying engagements between the two countries to stabilize bilateral ties and pave the way for potential higher-level talks, analysts noted.

Global Times