Governor Newsom Meets With Chinese President Xi Jinping In Beijing Amid Day Of Meetings With Chinese Officials

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in a surprise meeting in Beijing on Wednesday amid a series of climate and economic meetings attended by Newsom throughout the day.

Since Monday, Newsom has been travelling throughout China on what has been called a “climate-focused tour”. So far, this has included meetings in Hong Kong at Hong Kong University addressing combatting climate change and the economy, as well as a quick stop in Guangdong meeting with local leaders over electric vehicles and electric public transit. Going into Wednesday and with Newsom arriving in Beijing, it was planned for Newsom to be joined by his wife, meet with several high-level national and local officials on the climate crisis and clean energy, tour the Great Wall, and meet with U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and leaders of five Chinese provinces.

Meanwhile, back in California, Newsom has faced intense criticism over  the Chinese visit. Many have claimed that the trip is little more than a publicity stunt designed to garner Newsom international experience ahead of a major higher office run in the coming years. Others have said that Newsom working closer with China on climate matters means that Newsom’s pet environmental projects such as banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 would be more easily achieved at the expense of ignoring dozens of major issues with China. Specifically noted was industrial espionage and human rights abuses by China, which, prior to Wednesday, Newsom had avoided.

Much to the California delegations’ surprise, Newsom was invited to meet with Chinese President Xi once in Beijing on Wednesday. Newsom accepted, becoming the first Governor to meet Xi since 2017, when former Governor Jerry Brown met the Chinese president. Throughout Wednesday, Newsom also talked with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng, signed a new climate-focused Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Development and Reform Commission Chairman Zheng Shanjie, and was joined by Ambassador Burns for many of the talks.

Besides the MOU, the main focus of the talks centered on California and China working together on advancing climate action, promoting economic development and tourism, and strengthening cultural ties. Newsom specifically emphasized how solving the climate crisis would be impossible without China being a major collaborator, because of China being the most polluted country on the planet. Clean energy was also a focus, with both Californian and Chinese officials stressing solutions such as adopting zero emissions vehicles and lowering methane output.

Economically, Newsom and Chinese officials also talked of opening up more flights between California and China to help boost tourism between the two, as well as strengthening the $166 billion two-way trade relationship. Newsom stressed the need for fair competition and extended a welcome for China next month to the APEC summit in San Francisco, which President Xi is currently scheduled to attend.

California and China are two of the world’s largest economies. The reality is, we cannot solve the climate crisis without working together.

Despite our major differences, California is committed to stopping the greatest existential threat our planet has ever known. pic.twitter.com/hf31DvkNKn

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 25, 2023

Unexpectedly, Newsom also delved into topics he had largely avoided so far throughout his Chinese trip. This included discussing human rights violations, fentanyl production, and anti-democratic efforts in Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang and Taiwan. However, Newsom also stressed something uniquely Californian, discussing the possible release of California pastor David Lin, who has been held prisoner in China since 2006.

“Divorce is not an option,” Newsom said in a statement Wednesday. “The only way we can solve the climate crisis is to continue our long-standing cooperation with China. As two of the world’s largest economies, the work we do together is felt in countless communities on both sides of the Pacific.”

“Despite major differences, we share our humanity – our desire to feel protected, connected and respected is universal – and that humanity is what should drive us to work together to stop the greatest existential threat our planet has ever known.”

“Addressing climate change can be the bridge we’ve been missing. I made it clear to Chinese leaders that California will remain a stable, strong, and reliable partner, particularly on low-carbon, green growth.”

“I’m here in expectation, as you suggest, of turning the page, of renewing our friendship and reengaging on foundational and fundamental issues that will determine our collective faith in the future.”

Turning to the issue of Taiwan, Newsom added, “I expressed my support for the One-China policy as well as our desire not to see independence.”

Later, when discussing Lin, Newsom further said, “We hope he’s released. I appreciate the work that has been done to reduce his sentence from a life sentence. But he still looks to be incarcerated through April 2029. Humbly, I submit on the basis of what I know that he should be released.”

While the Chinese leaders didn’t have much to say to the press on Wednesday, Vice President Han did give brief remarks, saying that “Newsom is an old friend. The China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and the sub-national cooperation is an indispensable part to facilitate the sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations. I’m sure your weeklong trip will inject positive energy to the development of the China-U.S. relationship.”

Finally, Ambassador Burns also gave a short press statement following the end of the talks on Wednesday. To the press, he stressed that “This was a very positive, consequential day for the United States. I very much appreciated everything that the governor did to help us push this relationship forward in a positive direction.”

A continued mixed reaction for Newsom in China

Like the rest of his trip so far, Newsom’s day in Beijing  was met with a mixed reaction back in California, as well as the rest of the country. Experts noted that Newsom held himself well and avoided any diplomatic blunders while discussing hot-button issues that Chinese leaders generally don’t like talking about. However, they also said that Newsom also didn’t do much of anything besides signing an MOU, with many saying that Newsom was well out of bounds of his position of Governor and that he avoided any of the hardball questions with Xi himself.

“Looking at this objectively, Newsom did have a successful string of meetings with Xi and others today,” James Francis, an East Asian economic analyst, told the Globe. “He held himself very diplomatically and wasn’t very attacking towards his hosts. When there was something heavy to discuss, like human rights or fentanyl chemicals, he discussed it with someone below Xi. On that level he succeeded. He played the game.”

“But, at the same time, he was out of bounds. Xi is something of a monster to many in China and around the world, and here you have some nice pictures of Newsom shaking his hand and talking with him. Brown did the same thing, but he was more wary and was more down to business. Here, we have pictures that history may not look too kindly on. A few colleagues in Beijing I know compared to any non-head of state picture with Xi as potentially being like the infamous 1980 Donald Rumsfeld-Sadaam Hussein picture. And that’s not to mention that the majority of Chinese-Americans, especially first generation ones, hate the Chinese leadership. This isn’t exactly going to help Newsom there.”

“Newsom also didn’t go after many major issues with Xi himself. They didn’t discuss human rights issues. Newsom talked with others about that. Instead they talked about Xi seeing the Golden Gate Bridge last time he was in San Francisco.

“Overall, Newsom should have stayed in his wheelhouse. When it came to strengthening economic ties and improving on climate-related matters? He was fine. That’s what he came here to do. Regardless of how you feel about that, he discussed those things and signed an MOU like he said he would. The problem came when he wandered into other issues, especially with Xi. Newsom quickly backtracked into his favorite retreating conversation topic of San Francisco rather than press on. This trip has been seen as really unnecessary, and Beijing today kind of proved that.”

Newsom is expected to next head to the Chinese province of Jiangsu.