‘Ready to cooperate,’ China’s Xi tells US ahead of key visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Wednesday (Oct 25) that Beijing was ready to cooperate with the US on issues pertaining to global security and stability, Chinese state media reported.

Whether or not the United States and China could establish the "right" way of getting along would be crucial to the world, Xi reportedly wrote in a letter dispatched to the National Committee on United States-China Relations.

Xi said both nations should stabilise their relations based on the principles of "mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation."

Xi’s statement comes ahead of a key visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Washington DC starting Thursday (Oct 26). He will be there till Saturday and engage with top US officials, including State Secretary Antony Blinken.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Tuesday said Wang would have in-depth exchanges on several areas, including bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concern.

Speculations of a Xi-Biden meet

Experts believe the trip by the top Chinese diplomat would focus on laying the ground for a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden.

The potential meeting might take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco.

Watch:China's top diplomat, Wang Yi is US this week

Xi last visited the US in April 2017, when he visited then-president Donald Trump in Florida. On the other hand, Biden is yet to travel to China since becoming the president.

Both leaders last met in Indonesia last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Increasing engagements between the US and China

On Tuesday (Oct 24), the China-US Economic Working Group conducted its inaugural meeting via video link. The Chinese finance ministry characterised the meeting as "thorough, open, and productive."

The US Department of the Treasury announced that the new Financial Working Group will convene on Wednesday.

These two working groups were established in September with the goal of enhancing communication on economic and financial matters. This initiative stemmed from discussions between Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during their meeting in Beijing in July.

Analysts suggest that the increased frequency of official exchanges, spanning from discussions between deputy foreign ministers to the activities of economic and financial working groups, as well as Wang's trip to Washington, may signify preparations for a potential leaders' summit.

(With inputs from agencies)

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