NEW DELHI: President Joe Biden and the President of China Xi Jinping held a landmark three-hour meeting on Monday in their first face-to-face meeting since the US President took office nearly two years ago. Both leaders are in Bali, Indonesia, to attend the G20 summit.
Xi and Biden greet each other with a handshake before they sit down for a formal talk. The discussions aimed to “manage” differences between the superpowers as they compete for global influence amid growing economic and security tensions.
The two leaders spoke candidly about their priorities and intentions on a range of issues including Taiwan, the Ukraine-Russia war, the nuclear threat and North Korea. “Biden and Xi reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be waged and can never be won, and underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of weapons. nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” The White House speak.
Mutual cooperation
“As leaders of the two countries, we share the responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition becomes anything near conflict and find ways to work together on pressing global issues Biden said at the opening of the meeting.
Xi called on Biden to “draw the right path” and “raise the relationship” between China and the US. He said he was ready for a “frank and in-depth exchange of views” with Biden.
“We have very little misunderstanding with China… We just have to figure out where the red line is and what’s the most important thing for each of us over the next two years,” Biden said.
Before the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning China is committed to peaceful coexistence but will resolutely protect its sovereignty, security and development interests.
It is important for the US to work together with China to properly manage differences, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations, and bring China-US relations forward, she said. get back on track and develop stably”.
Taiwan and other flash points
As president, Biden has repeatedly tasked China with human rights abuses against Uyghur people citizens and other minorities, suppression of democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive commercial activities, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan, and differences over Russia’s prosecute Ukraine in the war against Ukraine.
Chinese officials have largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, though Beijing has avoided direct assistance, such as supplying weapons.
Taiwan has emerged as one of the most contentious issues between Washington and Beijing. Several times during his presidency, Biden has said that the United States would defend the island – which China has aimed for eventual reunification – in the event of a Beijing-led invasion.
But administration officials have insisted each time that the US “One China” policy has not changed. That policy recognizes the Beijing government while allowing for informal ties and defense ties with Taipei, and a position of “strategic ambiguity” as to whether it would respond militarily if the island attacked or not.
Tension flared up even higher when House Loudspeaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, prompting China to retaliate with military exercises and firing ballistic missiles into nearby waters.
The two men held five phone or video calls during Biden’s presidency.
(With input from agencies)
Xi and Biden greet each other with a handshake before they sit down for a formal talk. The discussions aimed to “manage” differences between the superpowers as they compete for global influence amid growing economic and security tensions.
The two leaders spoke candidly about their priorities and intentions on a range of issues including Taiwan, the Ukraine-Russia war, the nuclear threat and North Korea. “Biden and Xi reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be waged and can never be won, and underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of weapons. nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” The White House speak.
Mutual cooperation
“As leaders of the two countries, we share the responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition becomes anything near conflict and find ways to work together on pressing global issues Biden said at the opening of the meeting.
Xi called on Biden to “draw the right path” and “raise the relationship” between China and the US. He said he was ready for a “frank and in-depth exchange of views” with Biden.
“We have very little misunderstanding with China… We just have to figure out where the red line is and what’s the most important thing for each of us over the next two years,” Biden said.
Before the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning China is committed to peaceful coexistence but will resolutely protect its sovereignty, security and development interests.
It is important for the US to work together with China to properly manage differences, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations, and bring China-US relations forward, she said. get back on track and develop stably”.
Taiwan and other flash points
As president, Biden has repeatedly tasked China with human rights abuses against Uyghur people citizens and other minorities, suppression of democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive commercial activities, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan, and differences over Russia’s prosecute Ukraine in the war against Ukraine.
Chinese officials have largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, though Beijing has avoided direct assistance, such as supplying weapons.
Taiwan has emerged as one of the most contentious issues between Washington and Beijing. Several times during his presidency, Biden has said that the United States would defend the island – which China has aimed for eventual reunification – in the event of a Beijing-led invasion.
But administration officials have insisted each time that the US “One China” policy has not changed. That policy recognizes the Beijing government while allowing for informal ties and defense ties with Taipei, and a position of “strategic ambiguity” as to whether it would respond militarily if the island attacked or not.
Tension flared up even higher when House Loudspeaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, prompting China to retaliate with military exercises and firing ballistic missiles into nearby waters.
The two men held five phone or video calls during Biden’s presidency.
(With input from agencies)
