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Chinese President Xi Jinping’s comments come ahead of a virtual meeting with US counterpart Joe Biden.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned of a return to Cold War-era tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, and called for worldwide cooperation ahead of a virtual meeting with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden next week.
In a virtual statement on Thursday at a side-by-side business conference on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in New Zealand, Xi called for cooperation against common challenges, including climate change and COVID-19 vaccines.
“Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles according to geopolitics will fail,” he said.
“The Asia-Pacific region cannot and should not fall into confrontation and division during the Cold War.”
The Chinese president called for a joint effort to make COVID-19 vaccines more accessible to developing countries.
“We should return to the consensus that vaccines are a global public good to take specific action to ensure their fair and equitable distribution,” he said.
Xi’s comments come from various US media outlets reported he and Biden will hold a virtual summit next week.
The US and China also announced on Wednesday a agreement to promote cooperation on climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
The climate agreement “shows that the United States and China can cooperate on issues that transcend other conflicts,” Frans Timmermans, vice president of the European Commission’s Green Pact, told Al Jazeera.
Tension is growing between the two countries as China condemns the recent visit of US lawmakers to Taiwan. “serious violation“. Beijing, which is conducting military exercises near the island, claims Taiwan is its own.
The U.S., like many countries, changed the recognition of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing from the exiled government in Taipei in 1979, but maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” with the island under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
Washington has repeatedly said it supports Taiwan’s self-defense and is opposed to “any unilateral change in the status quo.”
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blink warned that the U.S. and its allies will “take action” against China if it tries to take Taiwan by force. He did not disclose the nature of the action.
“There are many countries – both in the region and abroad – that would use the force to disrupt the status quo as any unilateral action as a significant threat to peace and security, and they would also take action if that happened.” said Blinken.
The U.S. was outraged by China when it announced one in September security cooperation With the United Kingdom and Australia, which will help the Australian Army acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
Beijing has also rejected Biden’s efforts to strengthen the Quad alliance with India, Australia and Japan in the Indo-Pacific. The White House held a summit with Quad leaders in September.
China thwarted that meeting, calling it an alliance “Exclusive” and “doomed to failure”.
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