Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands Monday at a Bali hotel in their first personal meeting since the US president took office. Bloomberg points out that it is one of the most important meetings of the american presidency.
Biden and Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit. They joined US and Chinese officials. Both parties sat at long conference tables.
“We have a shared responsibility to show that China and the United States can manage their differences, prevent rivalries and conflicts and work better together Biden said.
“Good to see you,” Xi replied through the interpreter. — Currently, China-US relations are in a situation where we are all very worried about them.. It is not in the interests of our countries and the international community,” the Chinese leader added. He stressed that the two sides “they need to find the right direction” and “improve relations”.
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US seeks support in Asia
Before meeting Xi, Biden spoke with the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia on Sundayin what White House officials described as a prelude to a much-anticipated meeting with the Chinese leader. The president explained his approach and asked US allies about their concerns.
Biden used a summit in Cambodia with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to cement ties in a region where China is by far a major trading partner.
– The disagreements do not concern many subjects – underlined the American president, referring to relations with China, during an interview with journalists. — We just have to figure out where the red lines are and what’s most important to us over the next two years..
US officials acknowledged that negotiations over the format of the meeting between the US and Chinese presidents continued late into Sunday night. They started a month earlier.
Taiwan in the spotlight
Bloomberg notes that China cut off many routine contacts with the United States earlier this year after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwanand Biden has repeatedly promised that the United States will defend the island in the event of Chinese aggression.
Xi Jinping himself has come under domestic pressure to stand firm for his own reasons. Especially in the run-up to the Communist Party meeting in October, where he won a third term and potentially more.
In addition to the Taiwan question, the biggest hot spot between the United States and China, there is also divisions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and US efforts to block Beijing’s access to advanced chipswhich are key to the dominant technologies that will drive growth in the 21st century.
Bloomberg points out that any move to calm US-China relations would be welcome in Asia, where many governments viewed Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as an unnecessary provocation. American allies and partners, including South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, have also not fully supported Biden’s Efforts to Block China’s Access to Advanced Tech.
