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Xi Jinping advised Joe Biden that China was ready to work with the incoming administration of Donald Trump to handle variations within the turbulent US-China relationship, in his last assembly together with his American counterpart.

The Chinese language and US presidents met on the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation discussion board in Lima on Saturday. In his opening remarks earlier than their personal assembly, Xi mentioned the US-China relationship had seen “ups and downs” over the previous 4 years however has remained largely “steady”.

“China is able to work with the brand new US administration to keep up communication, increase co-operation, and handle variations . . . for the good thing about the 2 peoples,” Xi advised Biden.

Biden mentioned the US-China relationship was a very powerful “alliance” on the earth, earlier than correcting himself and saying it was the “most essential relationship”.

Repeating one among his inventory phrases when assembly Xi, Biden added: “Our two international locations can not let any of this competitors veer into battle . . . Over the previous 4 years I feel we’ve confirmed it’s potential to have this relationship.”

Relations between the US and China plummeted over the previous 4 years, reaching their lowest degree in many years a after then-US Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022 and a Chinese language spy balloon flew over the US final 12 months. Relations have since stabilised, however the superpowers stay at odds over many points.

Following the assembly, US nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned the leaders had a “candid” alternate about co-operation, together with on counter-narcotics, but in addition lined areas the place there are vital disagreements, reminiscent of China’s assist for Russia’s defence industrial base.

Sullivan mentioned Biden and Xi had reached an essential settlement on “the necessity to preserve human management over the choice to make use of nuclear weapons”, which he mentioned was the primary time that China had made such a pledge.

“We’ve generated one thing significant at present,” Sullivan mentioned. “It’s not the top of the road, but it surely’s the beginning of one thing that we hope may be carried ahead.”

In its readout of the assembly, the Chinese language overseas ministry mentioned the leaders “pressured the necessity to preserve human management over the choice to make use of nuclear weapons”.

Bonnie Glaser, a China skilled on the German Marshall Fund, mentioned the settlement was “essential” and signalled a recognition in Beijing that “lively measures needs to be taken bilaterally to manage harmful safety dangers”.

“It is usually the primary settlement ever signed by the US and China involving nuclear weapons,” mentioned Glaser. “Hopefully, it will likely be adopted by others.”

The assembly in Lima was the third in individual between Biden and Xi as leaders, and their first since they met in San Francisco on the Apec discussion board final 12 months.

It additionally got here two months earlier than Trump will start a second time period as US president. In latest days, he has signalled that he’ll set up officers with powerful stances on China to high positions, together with Florida congressman Mike Waltz as nationwide safety adviser. He’s additionally anticipated to appoint Florida senator Marco Rubio to be secretary of state.

Specialists are ready to see whether or not Elon Musk — who has change into near Trump and who produces and sells Tesla vehicles in China — will urge the president to take a softer strategy in the direction of Beijing.

Xi repeated his mantra that China desires to work with the US, including: “main nation competitors shouldn’t be the underlying logic of the occasions”.

He additionally pushed again in opposition to the thought of decoupling, and US measures to disclaim China superior semiconductor-related applied sciences, which is named the “small yard, excessive fence” coverage.

“‘Small yard, excessive fences’ is just not what a significant nation ought to pursue,” Xi advised Biden.

Sullivan mentioned the export controls had been narrowly focused at high-end applied sciences associated to Us nationwide safety considerations.