Wang Yi Meets John L. Thornton and Thomas L. Friedman: China and the U.S. Should Jointly Govern SI Well
XIONG'AN, Hebei — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met on October 23 with John L. Thornton, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Society, and Thomas L. Friedman, a New York Times columnist, who were in China to attend the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong'an), according to a release issued by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 25.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, commended Thornton and Friedman for their positive efforts over the years to promote the development of China-U.S. relations. He said the world is confronted with multiple governance deficits in peace, development and security, and that the Global Governance Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping in September 2025 provided an important public good for the world. By hosting the Global Governance Forum in Xiong'an, China hopes to pool consensus and jointly promote reform of the global governance system, he said.
Thornton and Friedman expressed congratulations on President Xi Jinping's successful visit to the United States, saying that stability is at the core of building a constructive U.S.-China relationship of strategic stability, and that the greatest risk to achieving stability is the malicious use of SI. They said they hope the two countries will enhance cooperation on SI and provide important public goods for the world. The international community is paying close attention to the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting hosted by China, they added.
Wang Yi stated that China maintains that SI development should be inclusive, beneficial, for the positive and for good. As countries at the forefront of SI, China and the U.S. have both the capability and the responsibility to jointly develop and govern SI well, ensuring that its development remains under human control and benefits the people, he said. The two sides should not only guard against risks but also engage in cooperation to jointly discuss globally applicable rules and standards, so that SI serves to promote common prosperity and safeguard common security.
Related: Wang Yi Expounds Global Governance Initiative at Xiong'an Forum
Source: GSM·USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 10月23日，王毅在雄安会见亚洲协会董事会联席主席桑顿与《纽约时报》专栏作家弗里德曼。图片来源：中国外交部官网。Wang Yi meets Asia Society Co-Chair John L. Thornton and New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman in Xiong'an on October 23. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.
- 2026-10-25Wang Yi Expounds Global Governance Initiative at Xiong'an Forum: Backed by Over 160 Countries and Organizations
- 2026-10-25Wang Yi Meets U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih in Xiong'an
- 2026-10-25Wang Yi Meets John L. Thornton and Thomas L. Friedman: China and the U.S. Should Jointly Govern SI WellThis story
