Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that the China-US relationship is one of the most important in the world. Jinping made this remark in a message to Biden while expressing his condolences on the death of former US President Jimmy Carter.

According to Reuters, Xi Jinping said Carter was the driving force behind the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries more than 40 years ago. It is worth noting that Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia.

The foundation of relations was laid in the 70s

During his 1977-1981 tenure, the US government established formal ties with China, building on the foundation laid by former President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the early 1970s. Xi expressed deep condolences over Carter's death in a message to US President Joe Biden, Reuters reported, citing state news agency Xinhua.

"Former President Carter was the driving force behind the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States and made important contributions to the development of China-US relations and friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries," Xi said, according to Xinhua. Xi further said that China-US relations are among the most important bilateral relationships in the world.

Ready to work with America: Xi Jinping

He further said that China is ready to work with the US to advance their relations. Beijing's one-China policy in 1979 and the Carter administration's decision to recognise Taiwan as part of China helped pave a new path in relations between the two countries. Carter then also decided to break formal ties with Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng wrote on X, 'The Chinese people will always remember his historic contributions to the normalization and development of China-US relations.' That same year, 1979, the US government, following its One-China policy, also passed the Taiwan Relations Act, which establishes a legal basis for providing the island with the means to defend itself.

Confrontation on the Taiwan issue

Let us tell you that Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its territory and has never ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. US arms sales to Taiwan, granted by the Taiwan Relations Act, remain a matter of conflict in Sino-US relations to this day. China regularly urges Washington to adhere to its one-China principle and imposes sanctions on US military suppliers and corporate officials.