The Guardian-Xi says China is willing to cooperate with US ahead of potential meeting with Biden

China’s Xi Jinping

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said China is willing to cooperate with the US as both sides manage their differences and work together to respond to global challenges, amid hopes of a meeting between Xi and US president Joe Biden later this year.

In a letter delivered at an annual dinner of the US-headquarterd National Committee on US-China Relations, Xi said that whether or not the US and China could establish the “right” way of getting along would be crucial to the world, according to state media.

Xi’s call for more stable bilateral ties, which he says should be built on the principles of “mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation”, comes before a key visit by foreign minister Wang Yi to Washington later this week.

The trip from Thursday to Saturday by the top Chinese diplomat will be the highest-level in-person engagement ahead of an expected meeting Biden and Xi in San Francisco at the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

“Chinese observers believe the visit [by Wang] will pave the way for a possible meeting between the heads of the two states but added that Washington needs to make concrete efforts to address Beijing’s concerns and show its sincerity,” China’s state-controlled Global Times wrote in a commentary.

US-China relations have plummeted in recent years, and attempts to repair ties earlier this year were dashed by the spy ballon saga in January, when US authorities shot down a balloon it said was Chinese spycraft flying in US airspace. US secretary of state Antony Blinken cancelled a visit to China in response, but later met his Chinese counterparts in the summer.

Washington’s top priority has been to ensure the intense competition between the world’s two biggest economies and their disagreements over a host of issues from trade to Taiwan and the South China Sea does not veer into conflict.

Chinese state media has reported that Wang expects to discuss the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and worsening tensions with the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Blinken told the UN security council on Tuesday that he will work with Wang to prevent the conflict in the Middle East from spreading when they meet on Friday.

US officials are keen for Beijing to use its influence with Iran and other countries in the Middle East to help prevent the conflict widening.

Analysts said that while China had expressed concern about the US approach
to the conflict, the two sides share a common interest in avoiding a wider regional war.

“That might be a basis for some common ground, even if China likely sees some benefits to the hit the United States is taking in the region among its Arab partners,” said Dalia Dassa Kaye, a senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations.

However, she said Beijing’s actual leverage could be limited, while others questioned Beijing’s willingness to use it.

Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, said China, as a major oil consumer, certainly has an interest in preventing a direct US-Iranian confrontation as it would spike oil prices.

“Still, the Chinese are unlikely to do any heavy lifting here,” he said. “I expect they’ll want a seat at the table when the Israel-Gaza struggle gets resolved, but they don’t feel much need or ability to hasten resolution.”

Israel’s bombing and siege of Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks has stirred anger in Muslim-majority countries, and Washington fears an imminent ground offensive could spark a wider conflict.

China has consistently called for restraint and a ceasefire in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, but has also sharpened its criticism of Israel.