foreign minister's briefing on PRC–US summit

Wang Yi 王毅 Foreign Minister called US President Donald Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping 'historic', stressing that

• the PRC and the US have both entered a crucial stage in their development
  • this year marks
    • the start of the PRC's 15th 5-year plan for economic and social development
    • the 250th anniversary of American independence
  • in this special year, the two presidents met in Beijing for a discussion, which sent an important message to the world
    • achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand
    • the two countries can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world
• PRC–US relations have reached a new starting point
  • this is the first face-to-face engagement between Xi and Trump since their Busan meeting last October and the first visit to the PRC by a US president in nine years
  • this is a continuation and strengthening of the good momentum in the interactions between the two presidents
  • the important questions Xi raised are
    • vital to history, to the world and to the people
    • the questions of our times that PRC and US leaders need to answer together
• the two presidents’ discussions have produced fruitful outcomes
  • the visit included not only official talks and a welcoming banquet, but also private exchanges and a cultural visit
  • in nearly nine hours the two presidents spent with each other the two leaders
    • showed mutual respect, a commitment to peace, and a shared interest in pursuing cooperation
    • agreed to build 'a constructive PRC–US relationship of strategic stability'
    • agreed for the two sides to pursue more exchanges on foreign policy, military-to-military relations, economy and trade, public health, agriculture, tourism, people-to-people ties and law enforcement

Wang explained how the PRC understands 'a constructive relationship of strategic stability', in particular, it should be

• positive stability, where cooperation is the mainstay, and the relationship gets more resilient through exchange and cooperation
• healthy stability, in which competition is kept within proper limits and not turned into a zero-sum game. 
• constant stability, where differences are manageable, and the relationship should not be like a roller coaster
• lasting stability, where peace is expectable, and conflicts and wars are not acceptable 

On interactions at the leadership and other levels, Wang said that

• the PRC–US relationship is anchored by presidential engagement
  • since Trump took office last year, the two presidents have had two meetings and five phone calls and have written each other many letters
• during this visit, the two presidents agreed to keep in close touch through meetings, calls and letters
• at the invitation of Trump, Xi will pay a state visit to the US this fall
• the political and diplomatic channel has stayed active
• the two economic and trade teams have held multiple consultations
• these two channels will continue to work to lengthen the list for cooperation and shorten the list of irritants
• the Beijing summit will
  • reenergise exchanges between the two sides’ legislative bodies, subnational entities, business, academic and media communities
  • add more dimensions to the constructive relationship of strategic stability

Wang outlined the PRC's position on Taiwan

• the Taiwan question is the PRC's internal affair
  • the mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China, which is
    • a fact established since antiquity
    • the real status quo of the Taiwan Strait
    • an important part of the postwar international order
  • we hope that the US side will
    • strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three PRC–US joint communiques
    • honour its international obligation
• the Taiwan question is the most important issue between the PRC and the US, one that affects the entire relationship
• the PRC and the US both agree on the vital importance of safeguarding cross-Strait peace and stability 
  • our impression coming out of the summit is that the US side
    • understands the PRC’s position
    • takes the PRC's concerns seriously
    • does not agree with or accept Taiwan moving toward independence

Speaking about the outcomes the summit produced on the economy and trade, Wang said that

• where disagreements and frictions exist, equal-footed consultation is the only right approach
• the two economic and trade teams produced generally balanced and positive outcomes, including
  • continuing to implement all the consensus reached in prior consultations
  • establishing a board of trade and a board of investment
  • addressing each other's concerns regarding market access for agricultural products
  • expanding two-way trade within the framework of reciprocal tariff reduction
• the two teams are in consultation over the details and will lock in the outcomes expeditiously and work together to ensure their execution