Biden and Xi plan face-to-face meeting at Apec summit

US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are planning to meet in person at the upcoming Apec summit in Peru. This would be the first direct meeting between the two heads of state in a year, according to the White House. The meeting is to take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Community summit, a high-ranking US government representative announced.

Relations between the world's two largest economies have been strained for years and communication between Biden and Xi has been sparse in the past. The meeting takes place shortly before the end of Biden's term of office, as he will be replaced by Donald Trump in January.

Important topics on the agenda

At the meeting, Biden plans to assess efforts to date to deal responsibly with competition between the USA and China. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine will also be a key topic. The US government representative emphasized that the resumption of military communication between the two countries last year was a success. Biden has always emphasized the importance of human rights in his talks with Xi and is expected to do so again.

Review of previous meetings

Biden and Xi last met in November 2023 on the sidelines of the Apec summit in California, after a year without direct contact. This meeting took place in a lavish mansion outside San Francisco and was aimed at stabilizing relations and improving communication between the governments. A phone call between the two followed in April, and there were meetings between high-ranking officials from both countries. Nevertheless, relations remain tense.

Tensions over Taiwan

Another point of conflict is the situation in Taiwan. The US has imposed economic sanctions against China and there are fears that China could use military force to annex Taiwan. Biden has pledged military support to Taiwan in the event of a conflict. The region around Taiwan is often the scene of military tensions. At the meeting with Xi, Biden will emphasize the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Future of US-China relations

The imminent handover of office to Donald Trump raises questions about the future of US policy towards China. During his first term in office, Trump pursued a tough line towards China, which Biden has continued. The US administration official was cautious about the possible policy directions of the next administration and emphasized the need to deal with the complex relationship with China.