Xi calls for steady transition of China-US relationship for peoples' benefit

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for a steady transition of the China-U.S. relationship for the benefit of the two peoples.

President Xi made the statement when meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in the Peruvian capital Lima.

"I'm pleased to meet with you again, President Biden. China-U.S. relations over the past four years have gone through ups and downs. But under our joint stewardship, the two sides have also been engaged in fruitful dialogue and cooperation, and the China-U.S. relationship has remained stable on the whole. The United States has just held its presidential election. China's goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged. China's commitment to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as principles for handling China-U.S. relations remains unchanged. China's position of resolutely safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged. And China's desire to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American peoples remains unchanged. China is ready to work with the U.S. government to maintain dialogue, expand cooperation and manage differences, so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-U.S. relationship for the benefit of the two peoples," said Xi.

"Thank you very much, Mr. President. It's good to see you and see all of you again. The conversations have always been candid and always been frank. These conversations prevent miscalculations, and they ensure the competition between our two countries will not veer into conflict. The competition, not conflict. That's our responsibility to our people, and as you indicated, to the people around the world. We are the most important relationship in the entire world," said Biden.

Xi calls for steady transition of China-US relationship for peoples' benefit

Xi calls for steady transition of China-US relationship for peoples' benefit

Xi calls for steady transition of China-US relationship for peoples' benefit

Xi calls for steady transition of China-US relationship for peoples' benefit

Xi calls for steady transition of China-US relationship for peoples' benefit

A new chapter has been opened in the decades-old campaign of fighting desertification in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as the 3,046-km green belt encircling the Taklimakan Desert in the region was completed on November 28, 2024.

The Taklimakan Desert, once known as the "sea of death," covers 337,600 square kilometers and its circumference measures 3,046 km, making it the largest desert in China and the second-largest drifting desert in the world.

It has taken more than 40 years to fully enclose the desert with a green belt. This incredible achievement is part of China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the world's largest afforestation initiative. The program was launched in 1978 and is scheduled to be completed by 2050.

Xinjiang's commitment to fighting desertification did not waver following the green belt's completion. Instead, the region is continuing to expand and fortify the belt to achieve broader ecological management objectives.

Despite subzero temperatures and recent snowfall, the relentless work at the sand control site persists.

In Yutian County on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are busy leveling a 530-hectare piece of sandy land for the forthcoming ecological conservation endeavors.

"It's been almost a month, and we'll work for another three or four days, and then we'll have leveled it out here," said a bulldozer driver working on-site.

In Luopu County also on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are preparing red willow branches in nurseries for planting across more than 400 hectares of desert in the coming spring. Indigenous sand-fixing plants like sacsaoul and red willow are poised to assume important roles in fighting desertification the upcoming year.

The green belt surrounding the Taklimakan Desert not only emphasizes ecological conservation but also highlights economic progress. Through photovoltaic projects, the region is pioneering a novel ecological management strategy aimed at achieving dual objectives of environmental preservation and economic prosperity. This approach not only aids in fighting desertification, but also promises economic benefits, propelling sustainable development in the area.

Presently, the construction of a photovoltaic project within the Taklimakan Desert is busy underway, with workers installing solar panels. By spring, sand fixing plants like alfalfa and Chinese fountain grass will be planted below these panels, making the project a good example for the exploration of a new win-win model of ecological governance and economic development in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang opens new chapter in fighting desertification