Mr. Xi: Sino-US relations affect the destiny of humanity

President Xi Jinping said that China-US relations will impact "the destiny of mankind" when welcoming a delegation of US senators.

"How China and America get along with each other in the face of a world full of change and chaos will determine the future and destiny of mankind," Chinese President Xi Jinping said when receiving a delegation of senators. The US is led by Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in Beijing today. "The China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world."

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) welcomes Democratic leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing on October 9. Photo: AFP

Mr. Schumer is leading a bipartisan US congressional delegation on a trip to Asia, with stops in China, South Korea and Japan to promote US economic and national security interests in the region.

According to the Chinese President, Beijing and Washington have "1,000 reasons to improve relations, but no reason to destroy them".

"China and the US must demonstrate the broad thinking, vision and responsibility of big countries," Mr. Xi said. "China-US relations have gone through many ups and downs, but the common direction is ahead. The world is developing and times are changing, but the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the US has not changed ".

In the previous meeting with Mr. Schumer, Foreign Minister Wang Yi hoped that this visit could "help the US understand China more accurately, view China more objectively, and manage current disagreements more appropriately, helping foreign policy The bilateral system returns to the path of healthy development."

The visit took place in the context of the US Congress last year passing a law to increase competition with China in the field of semiconductors and other technologies. Mr. Schumer reaffirmed the delegation's purpose of "creating a level playing field" for American businesses in China, and pledged that Washington does not seek conflict with Beijing.

"The majority of Americans, including members of this delegation, do not believe that American businesses and workers have a fair playing field in China," he said during a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Democratic majority leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer at the Diaoyutai Guest House in Beijing on October 9. Photo: AFP

He also called on China to "stand with the people of Israel" and condemned Hamas' attacks on Israeli territory. Senator Schumer expressed disappointment that Beijing "showed no sympathy or support for Israel during this difficult, chaotic time."

Mr. Schumer's comments came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on October 8 calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The statement did not mention Hamas forces, the group that controls the Gaza Strip and has been included in the "terrorist" list by the US and the European Union (EU). On October 7, Hamas suddenly launched a major attack on Israeli territory, killing more than 600 people. The Israeli government declared a state of war on the same day, ordering the air force to deploy dozens of fighter jets to attack targets in the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Schumer is the latest high-ranking US official to visit China, as Washington seeks to ease tensions with Beijing. He met with Shanghai Party Secretary Tran Cat Ninh, emphasizing that the US "does not want to separate" from the Chinese economy.