Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden take a walk after their talks in the Filoli Estate in the US state of California, Nov 15, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

The summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and United States President Joe Biden in San Francisco on Nov 15 has been hailed as highly successful, with experts saying it signals a step forward for China-US relations beneficial for the whole world.

Xi and Biden agreed to enhance dialogue and cooperation in various fields, with both sides pledging to initiate intergovernmental talks on artificial intelligence, step up counter-narcotics cooperation and military contacts, and jointly tackle the climate crisis.

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“My view is that the meeting between President Xi Jinping and Joe Biden was fairly successful”, said Colin Mackerras, a sinologist and emeritus professor at Griffith University in Australia.

Xi was quite right in his remarks that Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed, Mackerras (Colin Mackerras, sinologist ) said, hence any “competition should be manageable and not aimed at blocking China's rise”

Mackerras points to well-grounded reasons for optimism toward the presidential meeting before the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the US, their first face-to-face talks in a year. 

First, it is good to hold such a meeting at all, he said. Second, the atmosphere, from what he saw, was friendly and positive. Third, the content was quite positive. Fourth, there were some agreements and practical actions from the meeting, such as on the environment and cultural exchange.

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During the meeting with Biden, President Xi elaborated on China's principled position on the Taiwan question. He pointed out that the Taiwan question remains the most important and most sensitive issue in China-US relations. 

Major-country competition cannot solve the problems facing China and the US or the world, Xi said during the meeting, noting that the world is big enough to accommodate both countries, and one country's success is an opportunity for the other.

Xi was quite right in his remarks that Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed, Mackerras said, hence any “competition should be manageable and not aimed at blocking China's rise”.

“It was good that President Xi emphasized that Taiwan's future was reunification with the Chinese mainland and warned against arming Taiwan and provocations, while Biden agreed to stand by the one-China policy,” Mackerras said.

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He added that while the two presidents certainly did not solve all the problems at once, the meeting has contributed to an improved relationship and it gave him hope for more progress in the coming months.

China and the US should assume a new vision and build together five pillars for China-US relations, Xi noted, pointing out the two countries should jointly develop a right perception. Biden said that US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world.

Saud Faisal Malik, editor-in-chief of the Observer Diplomat magazine in Pakistan, said both leaders are committed to conflict prevention, cooperative identification of common ground, and the resumption of regular talks.

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He also acknowledged that the meeting may not lead to a complete reset of US-China relations. 

Through this diplomatic effort, the two presidents seized the chance to establish the foundation for a future marked by collaboration, comprehension, and mutual achievements, Malik said.

The expert also emphasized that the general optimism surrounding these high-level discussions is indicative of a shared desire for a world in which countries cooperate for the benefit of all, regardless of differences.

For Lawrence Loh, director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore, the Xi-Biden meeting accomplished “monumental success” in setting the tone for continued interactions between China and the US. 

“Coming back to the table for dialogue in itself is noteworthy,” Loh said, noting the substantive progress made, “especially resuming military contacts and leader-to-leader communication”. 

According to Loh, the meeting is not an end in itself but revitalizes a critical channel that can potentially resolve ongoing geopolitical issues, especially in East Asia and the Middle East. 

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“China, in particular, came out well from the meeting as President Xi has been magnanimous to make the long journey for this meeting while conveying the country’s longstanding interests in no uncertain terms,” he said.

Loh added that the success of the dialogue will depend on the sustained commitments of the two countries and each of them should not engage in any stunt to undo the trust forged during this event.

Xi also called on China and the United States to jointly shoulder responsibilities as major countries, and lead by example, step up coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues, and provide more public goods for the world.

The meeting between Xi and Biden is “conducive, constructive, comprehensive and cooperative”, Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, executive director of the Center for South Asia and International Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan said. 

Khan said it was a step in the right direction towards bilateral cooperation on several issues including trade and commerce, climate change, artificial intelligence, and socioeconomic development.

He added that it is important to have an effective, transparent, stable, and sustainable mechanism of open communication between the two militaries and governments. Both sides agreed to resume military-to-military communications.

“It would be helpful for global investors, businessmen, and security,” Khan added. 

He said that the US commitment to the one-China policy should be taken as a peaceful signal, though urged them to do more.

“Pledging to steer clear from the Cold War mentality and de-coupling would be mutually beneficial for both countries, as well as the entire world.”

Contact the writer at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com