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Opinion | Don’t buy into narrative of a US-China clash – or a Chinese economic crash
- US dialogue efforts, President Xi Jinping’s warm reception in San Francisco, including from business leaders, and China’s still-impressive economic growth say it all
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We live in an era where conflict can destabilise even the most robust international relations and affect global social and economic development. It has rarely been more important for governments, business leaders and people of influence to promote dialogue for the betterment of humanity and to focus on the significant issues we face.
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Amid the narrative fuelling geopolitical tensions between the world’s pre-eminent superpowers, there has been an alarming appetite within media factions to promote a dialogue of imminent conflict.
Thankfully, the first steps have been taken to tone down this rhetoric at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Leaders’ meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the meeting in San Francisco in their first face-to-face exchange in a year. What is apparent to all rational observers is that such direct dialogue facilitates a greater understanding of significant issues or disagreements, and provides a basis for progress and resolution.
This level of engagement is necessary to avoid an unintended potential conflict, which our fragile world cannot afford to have. As Xi said in San Francisco, succinctly: “Planet Earth is big enough for both our countries to succeed.”
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It was encouraging to notice the warmth of the greetings. Xi received three standing ovations at a dinner with the business community. This suggests a genuine desire for calm as the international community needs a stable and healthy economic US-China relationship. Xi’s meetings were considered a public relations success, with several agreements reached.
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