Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed his condolences to U.S. President Joe Biden regarding the death of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100. State media reported on Monday that Xi expressed his “deep sadness” over Carter’s passing, highlighting the former president’s significant contributions to the development of China-U.S. relations.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xi stated in a message to Biden that Carter “had long made significant contributions to advancing the development of China-U.S. ties and fostering friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.”
Xi noted that Carter was a key figure in the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, which were formally launched in January 1979. This marked a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, as it broke diplomatic ties with the Nationalist government in Taiwan, a staunch ally during the Cold War.
“Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was a promoter and decision-maker on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S.,” Xi said, adding that he was “deeply saddened by his passing.”
Carter played a pivotal role in normalizing relations with Beijing during a time when the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping was initiating reforms that would lead to unprecedented economic growth in China. Although Carter did not visit China during his presidency, he made several trips to the country both before and after his time in office.
In his message, Xi emphasized the importance of the relationship between China and the United States, describing it as “one of the most important” in the world. He expressed China’s willingness to work with the U.S. to promote the development of “healthy, stable China-U.S. relations, moving sustainably forward down the right track,” as reported by CCTV.
