October 17, 2024, 05:28 

Washington —In a congratulatory letter sent to the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations’ 2024 Annual Gala on Tuesday (October 15), Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that the success of China and the U.S. represents an "opportunity" for each other and that the two countries should assist each other's development rather than impede it. He expressed China's willingness to be "partners and friends" with the U.S. However, in response to Xi’s remarks, U.S. observers commented that America needs to "watch both the words and actions."

In his congratulatory letter, Xi said that U.S.-China relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world, affecting the well-being of people and the future of humanity.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited Xi in a brief statement that day, saying China has always handled U.S.-China relations based on principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. Xi reiterated that the success of China and the U.S. is an opportunity for each other, and both nations should support each other's development rather than hinder it.

In the letter, Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment to "openness" and emphasized that China will continue to promote institutional-level openness and build a world-class business environment.

"China is willing to be a partner and friend with the U.S. This will not only benefit both countries but also the world," Xi wrote.

"Watch both the words and actions"

Joseph Bosco, a former senior official at the Department of Defense, told Voice of America that China has made such conciliatory remarks in the past, but they often do not last long, soon reverting to strong rhetoric about "U.S. support for Taiwan independence." Therefore, he does not see Xi's statement about "being friends with the U.S." as indicating any significant shift in position.

In a phone interview with Voice of America, Bosco said: "China can prove its sincerity through some actions, such as stopping military exercises in the Taiwan Strait and ceasing to cross the median line. They could stop implementing the Anti-Secession Law and pursue unification only with the consent of the Taiwanese people, rather than by force."

Bosco emphasized that the U.S. does need to "watch both the words and actions." He said, "Our stance is: The words sound good, but it's easier said than done. We need to see real cooperative actions."

Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's foreign policy program, believes that Xi’s statement about wanting to be "friends with the U.S." carries little weight. He told Voice of America, "The American public is currently focused on the upcoming presidential election. Aside from those in the U.S. who are interested in China affairs, Xi Jinping's remarks are unlikely to draw much attention."

It’s worth noting that Xi made similar remarks just last November. During a welcoming banquet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco on November 15, 2023, Xi expressed that China hoped to reassure global businesses and address the difficulties in attracting foreign investment. In his over half-hour speech, Xi said, "China is willing to be a partner and friend with the U.S. Our fundamental approach to U.S.-China relations is mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation."

Dennis Wilder, a research fellow at Georgetown University’s U.S.-China Global Dialogue Project, bluntly dismissed Xi’s statement. In an email to Voice of America, he wrote, "If Xi Jinping truly wants to be a partner with the U.S., why is he Russia’s most important partner in its illegal invasion of Ukraine?"

Xi Jinping Faces Dilemma, Hopes to Maintain Bottom Line in U.S.-China Relations

Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Washington think tank Stimson Center, believes that Xi's remarks are worth noting and are related to the economic difficulties he is currently facing.

Manning told Voice of America via email: "I don't know what Xi Jinping truly thinks, but he is facing China’s current economic difficulties: debt accounting for 310% of GDP, local governments going bankrupt, consumers losing confidence in the real estate crisis, and significant wealth loss. So far, his stimulus plan has been focused on managing debt rather than implementing the structural reforms needed to boost consumption. Therefore, Xi is seeking a stable external environment and hopes to maintain a bottom line in U.S.-China relations."

Manning believes Xi's stance is worth testing, to see if he is prepared to take reciprocal measures to address the sources of tension: "Is he willing to change China's approach? Is he ready to negotiate new subsidy rules in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and rebalance their economy? Will he reduce aggressive military actions in the South China Sea and engage in serious negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the Western Pacific?"

Yun Sun, co-director of the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center, commented in an email to Voice of America: "This statement reflects China’s default position, especially given the relatively positive bilateral relations since last year’s summit. Furthermore, the U.S. presidential election is just three weeks away. China has nothing else to say other than hoping for good relations with the U.S. This is the most stable and friendly message China can send at the moment."

Ridicule Fills the Chinese Corner of Platform X

Among Chinese users on the X platform, most commentators expressed ridicule and skepticism.

Reuters reported on this on October 15 with the headline "Xi Jinping Says China Is Willing to Be Partners and Friends with the U.S."

The Reuters post on the social media platform X received over 40,000 views, but so far, there have been only 16 comments, most of which mock Xi’s statement about "being partners and friends with the U.S."

A user named "RobHeartNY" bluntly said, "Nonsense."

Another user, "Michel McMahon," commented under the Reuters post: "I’ll believe it when I see Xi take real action on the partnership and friendship between China and the U.S., rather than just talk. The lack of trust is deep-rooted, and warm words alone won’t fix it."

Another user, "Mr_d," sarcastically remarked: "It’s simple, if the U.S. doesn’t interfere with China’s actions and listens to China, then China will be the U.S.’s partner and friend."

In over a hundred comments under a post by Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao on X, most expressed scorn for Xi’s statement about being "partners and friends" with the U.S.

User "McFual" said, "Don’t believe the CCP's endless lies"; "Reykyavik" said, "President Xi is both fiercely anti-American and wants to do business with the U.S."; another user, "Dennis Wahng," said, "The U.S. has been fooled too many times; it’s no longer as easy to deceive as the Chinese people under the CCP."

On X, the repost of Xi’s letter by "Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher" garnered over 300 comments, most of which also expressed distrust and ridicule towards Xi’s outreach to the U.S.

Many users simply commented, "Watch both the words and actions," while others offered sharper criticism.

"Lowland Old Liu" sarcastically remarked, "Going with the flow is a traditional virtue"; "Master Wang Is Not Master Huang" said, "The wind has shifted again, a 180-degree turn, is Xi suffering from a split personality?" Another user, "The Rebel Times," said, "Guys, Xi Jinping is becoming harder to understand! We as Chinese citizens work tirelessly online every day to fight for our country and criticize the American imperialists, but you yourself turn around and cozy up to the American imperialists, talking about 'partnerships'? Isn’t this behavior complete betrayal of our nation?"