2023-11-16 07:00:00
The presidents of the United States and China, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, met this Wednesday in San Francisco (California) during a meeting that sought to reduce the trade and geopolitical tensions between the two world powers.
(Read here: Expectation for Biden-Xi meeting in the US. What topics will they address?)
A smiling Biden shook hands with Xi after the Chinese leader stepped out of a black limousine at the opulent Filoli Garden in California, less than 50 kilometers from San Francisco.
Among the main announcements that were made known after the closed-door meeting, Washington and Beijing agreed to reestablish communications between their armies, which Beijing cut after the then speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan in 2022.
Both powers made it clear that the goal is to reopen lines of communication in different areas to prevent competition between the two powers from leading to conflict.
The background of the unprecedented meeting
The unprecedented meeting between both leaders, which is the first that Biden and Xi have held in the last year, took place on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (Apec), and is an attempt to moderate the tone of both powers on issues such as Taiwan, sanctions and commercial exchange.
The two leaders last met in person in Bali in November 2022, and relations cooled after the United States shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February.
Before the closed-door meeting began, Biden, flanked by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and State Secretary Antony Blinken, took the floor first and spoke to the media for a few minutes. “Key members of our team had important discussions” since the last meeting between the two leaders, which was held in November 2022, said the American host.
“Mr. President, we have known each other for a long time. We have not always agreed (…) but our meetings have always been frank and direct. “It is essential that we truly understand each other, leader to leader,” Biden added.
Immediately, the Chinese president, who listened to his counterpart through translation, said that “turning your back is not an option (…). Planet Earth is big enough for both countries to be successful. As long as they respect each other, coexist in peace, they will be fully able to overcome their differences,” Xi said.
And he added: “You and I are at the forefront of relations between China and the United States (…) I look forward to having an in-depth exchange.”
After the statements to the press, Biden thanked the reporters present and then an extensive closed-door meeting began that lasted four hours.
The meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in south San Francisco begins with a handshake. It is the first time that both leaders have spoken in a year, at a very tense moment in the US-China bilateral relationship. pic.twitter.com/r99WjAuNds
— Dori Toribio (@DoriToribio) November 15, 2023
What is expected and why is the meeting between Biden and Xi important?
A rapprochement between Beijing and Washington could also benefit armed conflicts, such as that between Israel and Hamas.
Biden insisted on emphasizing on the eve of the summit that the United States is not trying to “separate from China,” but rather to “change the relationship for the better.” She said she wanted to “get back to a normal rhythm of correspondence, being able to pick up the phone and talk if there’s a crisis.”
China has noted that Xi and Biden will discuss “world peace and development,” adding that it was not “afraid of competition.” From Moscow, the Kremlin considered this Wednesday that this meeting between Biden and Xi was “important.”
“Every meeting between representatives of the two largest economies on the planet is important for everyone,” said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden.
Photo:
Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP
The points that generate tension between the United States and China
Before the meeting, Biden noted that China has “real problems.” “President Xi is another example of how the restoration of American leadership in the world is taking hold. They have real problems,” Biden said without elaborating during a fundraising event hours before the meeting.
“This is a complex, competitive relationship that could easily escalate into conflict or confrontation if not handled appropriately,” said White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
But in recent months, Beijing and Washington have opted for high-level diplomacy, which led to the announcement, less than a week before the summit, of Xi’s visit.
Biden was also expected to warn China not to interfere in the elections to be held in two months in Taiwan, the self-proclaimed democracy over which Beijing claims sovereignty and which it does not rule out taking by force.
There is speculation that an agreement to limit the use of artificial intelligence in nuclear weapons systems is also on the table.
Xi Jinping, president of China.
Photo:
Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP
Fentanyl, another great point of discussion
Possible cooperation to limit Chinese exports of ingredients for fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has caused a high number of deaths in American cities such as San Francisco, host of the meeting, was also expected to be discussed.
The issue must be addressed in bilateral meetings that the leaders will have separately with the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, its foreign minister Alicia Bárcena reported on Tuesday.
López Obrador will meet with Xi Jinping on Thursday, the first meeting between both leaders, which should focus on economic issues, while on Friday he will meet with Biden, with whom he already met at the beginning of the year.
The APEC summit, which brings together the leaders of the 21 economies of the Pacific bloc, runs until Friday in San Francisco.
How was the meeting between the two world powers organized?
The meeting was carefully choreographed to avoid misunderstandings and is being held under strict security measures.
Before the start of the meeting, representatives of the two countries announced the launch of a joint working group on climate change to strengthen their coordination on “one of the greatest challenges of our time.”
International Editorial
*Con AFP
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