Sino-US relations still face challenges, says Chinese ambassador

BEIJING (Reuters): China’s ambassador to the United States said Sino-US relations have shown positive signs of stopping a decline and stabilising but still faced challenges, as the leaders of both countries prepare for an expected highly-anticipated meeting this month.

The most important thing was to find the right way for China and the United States to get along, Xie Feng said in a video speech on Thursday at the Forum on US-China Relations in Hong Kong.

Xie said under the leadership of China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, and with the joint efforts of both sides, relations have recently shown positive signs.

“Sino-US relations are still facing severe challenges, and there is still a long way to go to stabilise and improve relations,” Xie said.

Xie also said both sides believe that it was beneficial and necessary for China and the United States to maintain dialogue, both hoped that Sino-US relations will stabilise and improve as soon as possible, and agreed to make joint efforts toward that at an anticipated San Francisco summit.

Xi and Biden are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, which starts Nov 15.

The two leaders, who have been at odds over a number of global issues including trade, national security and Taiwan, last saw each other almost a year ago on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali.