Xi tells visiting Americans China is planning "to comprehensively deepen reform"
The smiling Chinese President responds to "Peak China," opens door to broader China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges, and looks forward to "better" China-U.S. relations.
Xi Jinping told visiting American CEOs, scholars, and interlocutors on Wednesday, March 27 that
I have repeatedly emphasized that reform and opening up are crucial tools for contemporary China to catch up with the times. China's reform will not pause, and its opening-up will not cease. We are planning and implementing a series of significant measures to comprehensively deepen reform, continuously build a first-class business environment characterized by marketization, rule of law, and internationalization, and provide broader development opportunities for enterprises from various countries, including those from the United States.
That Xi underlined the upcoming reform confirms what I shared earlier here in Pekingnology and should serve to put it on many more people’s radar.
To recap
China is now “making plans for further comprehensive reforms.”
Xi proactively pairs the upcoming reforms to the same scale as the Decision Of The Central Committee Of The Communist Party Of China On Some Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening The Reform adopted at the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee on November 12, 2013
It’s a process that will take time because the making of the reform package will “extensively listen to opinions and suggestions from all quarters.” That likely suggests written reports, seminars, and meetings with many stakeholders in the CPC, government, academia, business, and other sectors.
Part of the reason why the paragraph has got little attention is perhaps that there is a fatigue with Beijing’s record and discourse on reforms…On the other hand, many, including those within China, found recent “reforms” to be significantly underwhelming.
It’s still too early to tell what form the new wave of “reform” promised by the Chinese President on Feb. 19 will take, what exactly will turn out in the package, and how it will be implemented.
Also of interest is at what occasion and what time will it be announced. The 3rd Plenary Sessions of the CPC Central Committees are known to be advancing reforms, starting with the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee in 1978 that ushered in China’s reform and opening up. The Decision Of The Central Committee Of The Communist Party Of China On Some Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening The Reform adopted at the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, on November 12, 2013, was also, at the time, well-received domestically and internationally for its perceived ambition, scale, and depth of reform.
Those precedents thus create expectations for reforms at other 3rd Plenary Sessions. As the agenda and date of the 3rd Plenary Sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee are still unannounced, will Beijing use the occasion to restore confidence with new reforms?
In his first publicly available comment on the “Peak China” theory, popularized by Michael Beckley and Hal Brands in their 2022 book Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China, Xi declared
China's development has gone through various difficulties and challenges to reach where it is today. In the past, it did not collapse due to the "China collapse theory," and now it will not peak because of the "Peak China theory." We will continue to promote high-quality development, persist in advancing Chinese-style modernization, enabling the Chinese people to continuously lead better lives and make greater contributions to global sustainable development. The prospects for China's development are bright, and we have the confidence and conviction in this regard.
In a video segment distributed by China Central Television, the official broadcaster, Xi can be seen smiling and heard telling FedEx Corp's Raj Subramaniam; Chubb's Evan Greenberg; National Committee on US-China Relations' Stephen Orlins; Harvard University’s Graham Allison; Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon, MGM's William Hornbuckle, Broadcom's Hock Tan, Bloomberg's Mark Cartney, Citadel's Peng Zhao, US-China Business Council's Craig Allen, Asia Society's John Thornton (h/t a tweet by William Zheng of the South China Morning Post) and Joshua Cooper Ramo that
不是有问到吗，中美“你中有我，我中有你”是怎么回事儿？就是通过交流嘛！交流、合作最后交融，不就“你中有我、我中有你”了吗？思想上也是一样。不同、分歧永远会存在，因为人和人是不一样的，一家人它也是不一样的。但是呢，求大同、存小异。建立更多的共识，国家之间，家庭之间，家庭内，亲人之间，不也是这样吗？中美关系史是一部两国人民友好交往的历史，过去靠人民书写，未来也要靠两国人民创造。两国各界人士要多来往、多交流、多合作，不断积累共识。
Didn't someone ask about it? What did I mean by the "I’m in you, and you are in me" between China and the United States? It's all about communication! Through exchanges, cooperation, and eventually integration, isn't it the same as "I’m in you, and you are in me"? The same applies to thoughts. Differences and disagreements will always exist because people are different, just as even within a family, each member is unique. However, the goal is to seek unity in diversity and tolerate minor differences. By establishing more consensus, whether between nations, within families, or among relatives, isn't it the same principle? The history of China-US relations is a history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples. In the past, it was written by the people, and in the future, it will also rely on the efforts of the people of both countries. People from all walks of life in both countries should engage in more exchanges, communication, and cooperation to continuously accumulate consensus.
My personal observation is that the strong emphasis on the American people reflects the realization that changing the minds of the U.S. ruling elites otherwise is perhaps a lost cause and Beijing, while having to manage the bilateral ties with them, now pins its more concrete hope on the 350 million Americans.
While definitely still very distant, voices have emerged in China, via an editorial of the HK-based Yazhou Zhoukan/Asia Weekly, that there is a case for China to grant visa-free travels to U.S. citizens, framing it as "smart diplomacy" to break, for average Americans, what the editorial says is the monopoly of China info by the ruling elites.
Xi also offered his public assessment of China-U.S. ties since his summit with President Joe Biden in San Franciso in late 2023
Last year, I met with President Biden in San Francisco, and the biggest consensus reached was that China-US relations should stabilize and improve. Over the past few months, both sides have maintained communication in various fields such as politics, diplomacy, economic and trade, finance, law enforcement and drug control, climate change, and cultural exchanges, based on the consensus reached between President Biden and me, and progress has been made. Under the current situation, the common interests between China and the United States have not decreased but increased. Whether in traditional fields such as economy and trade, agriculture, or emerging fields such as climate change and artificial intelligence, China and the United States should be each other's driving force for development, rather than obstacles.
Full translation of Beijing’s official readout of the meeting, as carried by Xinhua
On March 27th, President Xi Jinping met with representatives from the American business community and strategic academic circles at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping warmly welcomed the visit of representatives from the American business community and strategic academic circles to China at this time of blooming spring. President Xi Jinping pointed out that China-US relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. Whether China and the United States cooperate or confront each other is related to the well-being of the two peoples and the future of humanity. The success of China and the United States presents opportunities for each other. As long as both sides regard each other as partners, respect each other, coexist peacefully, and cooperate for mutual benefit, China-US relations will improve. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. The history of China-US relations is a history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples. In the past, it was written by the people, and in the future, it will rely even more on the creations of the people. There is a Chinese saying: "Good begets good, evil begets evil." I hope that people from all walks of life in both countries will engage in more exchanges, communication, accumulate consensus, enhance trust, eliminate various interferences, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, bring more tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries, and inject more stability into the world.
President Xi Jinping listened carefully to the remarks of the American representatives and responded to the issues they were concerned about one by one.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that the Chinese economy is healthy and sustainable. Last year, China's economic growth rate ranked among the forefront of the world's major economies, and its contribution to global economic growth continued to exceed 30%. This was achieved by the Chinese people and also relied on international cooperation. China's development has gone through various difficulties and challenges to reach where it is today. In the past, it did not collapse due to the "China collapse theory," and now it will not peak because of the "Peak China theory." We will continue to promote high-quality development, persist in advancing Chinese-style modernization, enabling the Chinese people to continuously lead better lives and make greater contributions to global sustainable development. The prospects for China's development are bright, and we have the confidence and conviction in this regard.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that he has repeatedly emphasized that reform and opening up are crucial tools for contemporary China to catch up with the times. China's reform will not pause, and its opening-up will not cease. We are planning and implementing a series of significant measures to comprehensively deepen reform, continuously build a first-class business environment characterized by marketization, rule of law, and internationalization, and provide broader development opportunities for enterprises from various countries, including those from the United States. Facing the new situations and changes in China-US economic and trade relations in recent years, both sides should adhere to mutual respect, mutual benefit, equality, and consultation, act according to economic laws and market rules, expand and deepen mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, respect each other's development rights, and pursue win-win outcomes for both China and the world. I welcome American enterprises to participate more in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, participate in large-scale economic and trade activities such as the China International Import Expo, and continue to invest in China, deepen their presence in China, and win in China.
President Xi Jinping emphasized that in recent years, China-US relations have experienced many twists and turns and encountered severe challenges, and the lessons learned from them are worth pondering. China-US relations cannot return to the past, but they can have a better future. During my meeting with President Biden in San Francisco last year, the biggest consensus reached was that China-US relations should be stabilized and improved. Over the past few months, the two sides have maintained communication in various fields such as politics, diplomacy, economic and trade, finance, law enforcement and drug control, climate change, and cultural exchanges, based on the consensus reached between President Biden and me, and progress has been made. Under the current situation, the common interests between China and the United States have not decreased but increased. Whether in traditional fields such as economy and trade, agriculture, or emerging fields such as climate change and artificial intelligence, China and the United States should be each other's driving force for development, rather than obstacles. Promoting the recovery of the world economy and solving international and regional hotspot issues require China and the United States to coordinate and cooperate, demonstrate the responsibilitis of major countries, and fulfill the responsibilities of major countries. The US side should work with the Chinese side, establish correct strategic understanding, properly handle sensitive issues, maintain the momentum of stabilizing and improving China-US relations, actively explore the right way to get along, and promote the continuous, stable, and healthy development of China-US relations.
Representatives from the American side, including Mr. Evan Greenberg, Chairman of the National Committee on US-China Relations, Mr. Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman and CEO of Blackstone Group, Mr. Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated, Graham Allison, Founding Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, and Mr. Craig Allen, President of the US-China Business Council, thanked President Xi Jinping for granting them an audience. They expressed that over the past few decades, China has achieved extraordinary economic growth and transformation, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. Under the outstanding leadership of President Xi Jinping, China is committed to developing new productive forces and achieving more sustainable and high-quality development. The development rights of the Chinese people should be respected. They believe that China will achieve its development goals and promote the development and integration of the world economy. A strong and prosperous China is a positive force for the world. The economic relationship between the United States and China is closely interdependent. Only through peaceful coexistence can both countries achieve prosperity and development. The "Thucydides Trap" is not inevitable. American companies appreciate the series of further opening-up measures recently introduced by China, are optimistic about the prospects for China's economic development, and will steadfastly continue to deepen cooperation with China and maintain long-term and close cooperative relations with China's development. The successful meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Biden in San Francisco last November boosted the expectations and confidence of various sectors in the United States and the world in the future of US-China relations. The American business community and strategic academic circles support both China and the United States in enhancing exchanges and communication at all levels, enhancing mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation, joining hands to address global challenges, and promoting the establishment of a stable, sustainable, and effective relationship between the United States and China.
Wang Yi attended the meeting.
