U.S. President Joe Biden participates in a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Roosevelt Room of the White House November 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden met his Chinese counterpart to discuss bilateral issues.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
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U.S. President Joe Biden participates in a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Roosevelt Room of the White House November 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden met his Chinese counterpart to discuss bilateral issues.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by video link Monday night in an effort to ease tensions that have eroded trust and raised the specter of conflict between the two leading economies. world top.
This is the first time since Biden took office 10 months ago that the two leaders have met face-to-face – albeit via video from nearly 7,000 miles apart – to try to find ways to coexist and maintain a relationship. system of open competition and sometimes harmonization. from getting worse.
A senior Biden administration official said the three-and-a-half-hour conversation was “respectful and candid and it was very open”.
In opening remarks, both noted the importance of bilateral communication – Xi said more of that was needed and Biden said it should be candid. They also called for more cooperation.
“As I have said before, for me it is our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States to ensure that competition between our countries does not turn into conflict. , whether on purpose or not. Just plain, straightforward competition,” Biden said.
“It seems to me that we need to establish some common sense barriers, be clear and honest where we disagree, and work together where our interests intersect, especially on important global issues like climate change.”
Xi said the “stable and stable” China-US relationship is necessary for development, peace and stability, as well as for finding effective responses to global challenges, such as climate change and pandemics.
Calling Biden an “old friend,” Xi said he was willing to work with Biden “to build consensus, take positive steps, and move China-US relations forward in a positive direction.”
The constructive language at the start of the meeting marked a clear change from the much more serious tone of meetings earlier this year between US and Chinese officials.
Relations between China and the United States have been strained since former President Donald Trump launched a trade war against China in 2018 and then introduced a series of dramatic measures in his final year. incumbent, including forcing the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston.
The Biden administration has not shied away from the tougher approach that Trump pioneered – choosing to close the consulate, keep tariffs in place and call on Beijing on issues like rights, hacking and threats to Taiwan. Loan.
Officials in China had hoped that tougher U.S. policies would end with Trump leaving office unhappy with the Biden administration’s approach.
In meetings earlier this year, senior diplomatic officials debated framing the relationship, with Chinese officials dismissing the Biden team’s approach. After months of icy interactions, US officials say they are becoming frustrated by the lack of substantive engagement from Beijing.
In September, Biden invited Xi Jinping to a phone call to try to break the ice – their second since Biden took office. Monday’s meeting was also initiated by the US side, according to a senior Biden administration official.
Despite the more informal atmosphere, Biden and Xi engaged in “healthy debate” on a number of issues of difference, according to a senior Biden administration official who briefed the world. communicated on condition of anonymity.
On the Taiwan side, the two had an “extended discussion,” the official said.
Beijing considers the self-governing island part of China to be returned to the area by force if necessary. However, Washington has expressed concern about recent military, diplomatic and economic steps to put pressure on Taiwan.
China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying that if the “Taiwan independence” forces make a provocative move or cross China’s red line, China will have to take “measures”. decision”.
More broadly, Mr. Xi said he hoped Biden would return US policy towards China to “a rational and pragmatic track”, Xinhua reported. The US and China should respect each other’s interests, rights and systems, and avoid playing a zero-sum game, he said.
And he likens China and the United States to two giant ships at sea, each of which needs to be steered firmly to avoid losing speed or colliding.
There was no joint statement and no official “product” from the meeting. The senior administration official said there was no expectation from the summit that there would be any kind of breakthrough, or that it would be “a fundamental departure point”.
“This is really about … not just developing those ways to manage competition responsibly, but also ensuring that as we move forward, the United States and China have a steady state.” , the official said.
The meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden comes less than a week after China’s ruling Communist Party passed a resolution that analysts say is more likely to stay in power as president. party boss beyond the usual ten-year term. This will be formalized at the party congress in the second half of next year.
At the heart of the conflict between China and the United States, analysts say, are different views on what it means for China to emerge as a global economic and military power.
The party says China is facing an unprecedented opportunity in which the East is rising and the West is declining. However, Biden said he wants to make sure that the US can compete with China and maintain its position as a global leader. Meanwhile, both sides talk about living together.
“The question is, what kind of coexistence?” Susan Thornton, a former US diplomat who is now a senior fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center.
“They want a way to coexist with America, where we won’t have conflict. But they also want to be able to defend, defend and advance their interests. And that’s the fundamental conundrum. , right? a more powerful nation that continues to advance its interests without being a zero-sum loss to the United States?”
