Xi and Biden greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort on the Indonesian island of Bali on Monday, where they are attending a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, before sitting down for what was expected to be a long discussion. hours. “As leaders of our two nations, we share the responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming near-conflict, and find ways to cooperate on urgent global issues. that require our mutual cooperation,” Biden said at the start of the meeting. Xi said he hoped they would “chart the right course for the China-US relationship” and that he was prepared for a “sincere and in-depth exchange” with Biden. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met face-to-face for the first time since Biden was elected to the White House ⤵️ 🔗: pic.twitter.com/yEcWYagvrP — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 14, 2022 Speaking from the G20 summit, Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays said there was little hope that anything particularly meaningful would come out of the meeting. “It’s about two leaders who know each other from the past, getting back to knowing each other again and building a little more trust to try to take some of the tension out of the relationship,” Bays said. “Both sides say they have to find a way to work together. The White House briefing said they need red lines and they need to find what each other’s limits are on key issues.” U.S. President Joe Biden, right, stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia [Alex Brandon/AP Photo] The two leaders entered the much-anticipated meeting with a strengthened political position at home. Democrats triumphantly won control of the US Senate, with a chance to boost their ranks by one in Georgia’s runoff election next month, while Xi received an unprecedented third five-year term in October from the Communist National Congress. Party. break with tradition. “We have very little misunderstanding,” Biden told reporters in Cambodia on Sunday, where he attended a gathering of Southeast Asian nations before departing for Indonesia. “We just have to figure out where the red lines are and … what are the most important things for each of us in the next two years.” Biden added: “His circumstance has changed, to state the obvious, internally.” The president said of his own situation: “I know I’m coming stronger.”
Controversial issues
Relations have become more strained under successive US administrations as economic, trade, human rights and security disputes have come to the fore. As president, Biden has repeatedly condemned China for human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan and disputes over the prosecution of the war by Russia. against Ukraine. Chinese officials have largely shied away from publicly criticizing Russia’s war, although Beijing has shied away from direct support, such as providing weapons. Taiwan has emerged as one of the most contentious issues between Washington and Beijing. Several times in his presidency, Biden has said the US would defend the island – which China has eyed for eventual unification – in the event of a Beijing-led invasion. Tensions rose further when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, prompting China to respond with military exercises and the launch of ballistic missiles into nearby waters. The Biden administration also blocked exports of advanced computer chips to China last month — a national security move that heightens the U.S.’s rivalry with Beijing. Chinese officials were quick to condemn the restrictions. Before the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China is committed to peaceful coexistence, but will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. “It is important for the US to work with China to properly manage differences, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations, and put China-US relations back on the right track of healthy and stable development,” he said at a daily briefing. . in Beijing.
