US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have reportedly agreed to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation scheduled in November amid ongoing hostilities between the two countries, although details of their meeting are still being worked out, according to a US official.
Both sides worked out an agreement to hold a meeting in the midst of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to the US, where he met Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, said the official. However, the two sides have yet to work out details on the exact day of the meeting, venue and other logistics.
The Chinese president last came to the US in 2017, when former President Donald Trump hosted him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Biden has yet to host Xi on US soil, and the two leaders last met in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit there.
Following the meetings on Friday, the White House said in a statement that the two sides were “working toward” a Biden-Xi face-to-face on the sidelines of APEC, a forum of 21 Pacific countries.
Wang Yi's visit to Washington
Wang's meeting with Biden during his three-day visit to the US was the latest in a series of high-level contacts between the two countries as both countries apparently seek a stable relationship in the midst of conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.
According to the White House, Biden emphasised that both the US and China "need to manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication" while underscoring that the two biggest economies of the world need to work together to address global challenges.
Kirby said Biden viewed the meeting as “a positive development, and a good opportunity to keep the conversation going" and that the US President was optimistic about meeting his Chinese counterpart.
Additionally, the Chinese side said that "the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations and issues of common concern in a constructive atmosphere". Wang mentioned that China's goal was to push ties with the US on the track of "healthy, stable and sustainable development".
The US has reportedly been disappointed with China over its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine and its relative silence on the war between Israel and Hamas. US officials believe that China has considered leverage with Iran, which backs Hamas.
California Governor's trip to China
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom visited China with he stated goal of working together to fight climate change, which resulted in a surprise meeting with Xi and was filled with warm words and friendliness not seen in years in the China-US relationship.
The visit was seen as paving the way for Biden and Xi's meeting and raised expectations of collaboration on some levels between the two countries despite years of tensions. California has a steady and long working relationship with China.
It is worth mentioning the relations between Washington and Beijing have become increasingly fraught lately. The two nations have been locked in an escalating trade spat since early 2018, raising import tariffs on each other's goods.
During his visit to Washington, Wang also is expected to discuss Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing considers to be part of Chinese territory. Beijing vows to seize it by force if necessary, but Washington, which has a security pact with Taiwan, opposes the use of force.
(with AP inputs)
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