China’s threats against Taiwan, US sanctions against Chinese companies, a spy balloon: Can a personal meeting cool down the heated mood between the USA and the People’s Republic?
According to the White House, the USA and China are working on a personal meeting between US President Joe Biden and China’s head of state Xi Jinping in San Francisco in mid-November. A US government representative said yesterday evening (local time) that a “possible meeting” between the two during the Asia-Pacific Summit (APEC) would primarily focus on “strategic intentions.” The White House made Biden’s trip to the summit official.
The government headquarters tried not to finally confirm a possible meeting between Biden and Xi, even when asked. However, she indicated that such a meeting was likely. The US government is making preparations for a meeting, said the US representative. China usually confirms the travel plans of the head of state and party leader Xi at short notice. That’s why they want to leave it up to Beijing to decide whether and when such an announcement will be made.
Meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit
US President Biden previously met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the White House. This was already seen as a sign of a possible personal conversation between Biden and Xi at the APEC summit. Xi and Biden last met in person on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia around a year ago. It was also the first personal meeting between the two as presidents.
Relations between China and the USA have reached their lowest point in recent months. A Chinese spy balloon over the USA and US sanctions against companies from the People’s Republic, which is ruled by the Communist Party, caused trouble. China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and threats against Taiwan also brought contention. Visits by high-ranking US government officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China in recent months were intended to cool the heated mood between the two nuclear powers. Blinken also met with Wang Yi in Washington this week.
Source: Stern
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