'Continue to play active role': Xi Jinping urges Starbucks to help promote China-US ties

As Joe Biden administration prepares to take over Washington, China’s President Xi Jinping recently called on Starbucks Corp. to help promote trade between US and Beijing. While responding to an earlier mess from former Starbuck chairman Howard Schultz, Xi urged multi-billionaire to continue to play an active role in promoting US-China ecomic and trade cooperation. He also said that China has emerged on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, which will provide broader for companies from across globe. 

According to Bloomberg, Xi replied to Schultz in a letter that was dated January 6 and published Thursday by Xinhua News ncy. It is still t clear why letter was published by state media, but it comes amid tense relations between two superpowers. It is worth ting that Starbucks has reportedly opened over 4,700 coffee shops across country since 1999. 

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Chinese leader hopes that Starbucks will make active efforts to promote China-US trade cooperation and development of bilateral relations. In letter, Xi wrote that China will provide a broader for companies from all over world, including Starbucks and or American companies, to develop country. Schultz’s letter, on or hand, had congratulated Beijing on near completion of plan to build a “moderately prosperous society”. Chairman Emeritus had expressed respect for Chinese people and Chinese culture. Schultz had previously said that China was a competitor of US rar than an enemy. 

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US-China relations 

Meanwhile, US-China ties have grown increasingly strained under Trump administration. two countries have sparred over blame for coronavirus pandemic and China’s human rights records in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Trump administration has also blocked imports from individual companies linked to forced labour in Xinjiang. It has imposed travel bans and or sanctions on Communist Part officials with prominent roles in campaign. 

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has, however, called for both sides to “restart dialogue” and “rebuild mutual trust” with incoming US administration of President-elect Joe Biden. Wang has urged incoming President to have “right perception” of China and cooperate with Beijing. He expressed Beijing’s anger over China policies taken in recent years by Washington and appealed to Biden administration, which assumes control on January 20, to man two nations’ differences constructively.

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