By The newspaper
31 Oct 2023, 18:15 PM EDT
In a highly anticipated move, the White House announced that President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.
The face-to-face meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which will be held in San Francisco.
The implications of this meeting are profound, since it implies that the leaders of the two largest economies in the world participate in intense diplomacy, according to the Reuters agency.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed in a press conference that “intense competition means intense diplomacy.” This succinctly captures the essence of the upcoming conversations.
Jean-Pierre stressed that the Biden administration’s approach toward China remains unchanged, reaffirming its commitment to navigating the complex relationship between the United States and China.
While details of the agenda remain confidential, President Biden is expected to engage in “a tough conversation” with Xi Jinping, reflecting the critical nature of the issues at hand.
Biden-Xi: Leverage diplomatic efforts
This pivotal meeting follows a series of discussions involving senior US officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, CIA Director Bill Burns, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and US Special Climate Envoy John. Kerry. These conversations have laid the foundations for the next dialogue between the two heads of state.
The meeting between President Biden and President Xi Jinping comes against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape. The White House is currently working to accelerate security assistance and humanitarian aid to Israel amid an escalating conflict with Hamas.
At the same time, the United States continues to strongly support Ukraine in its defense of its sovereign territory against a prolonged Russian invasion, which has persisted for more than 600 days.
The tension in the relationship between the United States and China is compounded by these global realities. Additionally, the relationship has already weathered the turbulence of a trade war that began during the previous administration.
China’s role in the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict is of great concern. Xi Jinping is a key financial ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese support is vital to sustaining the Russian war effort. The Biden administration had previously warned China not to help Russia in its Ukraine campaign.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and its Western allies have collectively imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russia, aimed at undermining the Kremlin’s ability to finance the war. This economic war has elevated Russia to the status of the most sanctioned country in the world.
Sanctions on Russia have reinforced China’s importance as a strategic ally for Russia, which is increasingly isolated on the world stage.
Recent meetings between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Beijing have highlighted the growing partnership between the two nations. It is noteworthy that Xi’s conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was the first direct communication between the leaders since the start of the Russian war.
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