In the morning of February 14 local time, visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with US President Barack Obama in the White House.
Xi first of all conveyed the sincere greetings of President Hu Jintao, Chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao. President Hu asked Xi to send his reply to the letter President Obama wrote to him not long ago. In the letter, Hu spoke highly of the overall development of China-US relations last year and stressed the special importance of the year 2012 to China and the US and to the bilateral relations. Hu took the views expressed by Obama on developing China-US economic and trade ties seriously and reiterated willingness to make joint efforts with Obama to implement the consensus reached between them during his visit to the US early last year, seize opportunities and overcome difficulties, build and develop the China-US cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit and promote the stable development of bilateral ties.
We admire that President Obama has been committed to advancing China-US relations since he took office three years ago and indicated on many occasions that the US welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China with bigger role in the world, said Xi. With the joint efforts of both sides, China-US relations in general maintain the momentum of development, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and two peoples and exerting important positive influence on the world. He hopes this visit will help promote the bilateral cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit in the direction specified by President Hu and President Obama.
Xi held productive talks with Vice President Biden in the morning. The two leaders confirmed again that the healthy and stable development of China-US relations is crucial to the interests of both countries and to peace, stability and prosperity of Asia Pacific and the world at large. It is the only correct choice of China and the US to exclude interferences and remain friends and partners. China expects to enhance trust, consolidate consensus, manage and control differences with the US. It hopes continue to handle trade frictions through dialogue and cooperation instead of protectionism in the principle of consultations on an equal footing and mutual benefit and maintain the basic pattern of mutually beneficial and win-win bilateral economic and trade relations. On major regional and international issues, the two sides should actively coordinate and collaborate and jointly play a constructive and responsible role of maintaining and promoting world peace, stability and development.
He said that the Taiwan problem involves China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and always remains the most central and sensitive issue of China-US relations. China admires that the US repeatedly reiterates adherence to the one-China policy and hopes the US follows the spirit of the three joint communiqués to safeguard peace across the Taiwan Straits and the China-US relations.
Obama extended warm welcome to Xi and thanked him for conveying the signed letter of President Hu. He reviewed the progress of US-China relations driven by his communications with Chinese leaders, including President Hu and Premier Wen. He asked Xi to convey his greetings to President Hu and other Chinese leaders and looks forward to maintaining close communications with them. He expressed firm commitment to advancing the bilateral cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. The US welcomes China's peaceful development and believes a strong, prosperous and stable China is beneficial to the prosperity and stability of Asia Pacific and the world. He reiterated commitment to the one-China policy based on the three joint communiqués between the two countries and opposition to any attempt of "Taiwan independence". He expects to see the continuous peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Straits. He said that the cooperation between the US and China on regional and international issues is critical under current circumstances. The US is willing to strengthen dialogue, coordination and cooperation with China on strengthening the G20 and other multilateral mechanisms and on the Iranian nuclear issue, the Korean Peninsula issue and the Syrian situation.
The two leaders also exchanged in-depth views on the bilateral economic and trade relations and other issues of common concern.
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, US Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton were present at the meeting.