Biden to Meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco mid-November for Summit, Aims for Constructive Diplomacy Amid Tension

Despite Uncertainty, White House Confirms Biden-Xi Meeting at APEC Summit Amid Rising Tensions, with Issues like Taiwan, Trade, and Cybersecurity on Agenda.

President Biden is slated to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping face-to-face in San Francisco at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit scheduled from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17. The White House's press secretary confirmed the meeting plans and emphasized the 'tough' and 'important' nature of the conversation in an effort to foster 'intense diplomacy.'
This discussion between world leaders has been months in the making, aimed to re-establish trust and improve communication between the U.S. and China. The countries last held direct talks at the G20 Summit in 2022, agreeing on the need for more direct communication between their leaderships.
The meeting between the leaders is seen as crucial in easing rising tensions over issues like Taiwan, trade, and cybersecurity. The U.S has pronounced the importance and mutual benefit of 'competition' with China, hoping to move forward through diplomacy and necessary 'tough conversations.'
U.S.-China relations have strained due to several incidents such as detection of Chinese spy craft in U.S. airspace, cyberattacks on high-ranking U.S officials, restrictions on the export of advanced computer chips to China, and geopolitical conflicts including Taiwan sovereignty stand-off and Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting still awaits official confirmation from China, in part because of the ongoing negotiations on official ‘deliverables’ and possible U.S. trade sanctions. China is keen to prevent any events that might embarrass their leader, Xi Jinping, during the high-stakes diplomatic sit-down.

South China Morning Post

South China Morning Post