Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed his “deep sadness” over the passing of former US president Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100, state media reported on Monday.
In a message of condolence to President Joe Biden, Xi highlighted Carter’s significant contributions to fostering China-US relations and promoting friendly exchanges between the two nations. State broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying, “Former US president Jimmy Carter played a key role in the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the US. His passing deeply saddens me.”
Carter’s presidency saw the normalization of relations with Beijing, a shift that followed decades of US support for Taiwan. In January 1979, Washington officially broke ties with Taiwan, marking a historic move towards engagement with the People’s Republic of China.
Carter did not visit China during his presidency, but his relationship with China began well before he took office. His first visit came as a young naval officer in 1949. After leaving the White House, Carter made several trips to China, meeting with Chinese leaders such as Deng Xiaoping and Zhao Ziyang. His visits continued in 1987, 1991, and again in 1997.
CCTV noted Xi emphasized the importance of the China-US relationship, calling it “one of the most significant in the world.” Xi urged for continued efforts to promote stable and healthy relations, emphasizing cooperation to ensure progress on shared global challenges.
