Biden and China's Xi to hold first in-person presidential meeting - The Washington Post

The gathering comes aft months of speculation implicit whether the 2 leaders would conscionable astatine the planetary acme of the world’s astir almighty governments. It volition travel arsenic the U.S.-China narration has reached 1 of its lowest points successful decades. Biden’s nationalist information strategy identified China arsenic “America’s astir consequential geopolitical challenge,” noting that the president was peculiarly disquieted astir the country’s efforts to “layer authoritarian governance with a revisionist overseas policy.”

A elder medication authoritative said connected a telephone with reporters that White House aides expect the gathering to beryllium a “substantive and in-depth conversation” betwixt the 2 leaders but did not expect substantive advancement connected large issues. The authoritative besides said Biden would beryllium “honest” astir a “number of concerns,” including long-standing quality rights issues.

Instead, the authoritative said, White House officials presumption the gathering arsenic an effort for Biden and Xi to recognize each other’s priorities and found a “floor” for the narration to guarantee lines of connection stay unfastened astatine times of tension.

The elder authoritative added that the White House recovered it notable that Xi warned against the usage of atomic weapons — viewed arsenic a wide awesome to Russian President Vladimir Putin — and urged Germany to propulsion for bid talks successful the Russia-Ukraine war.

Xi is astatine a infinitesimal of large governmental spot aft securing an unprecedented 3rd five-year term, concentrating powerfulness to a grade not seen since the days of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. He has besides positioned his state defiantly against the West.

Yet Biden is besides entering the gathering successful a stronger position than astir anticipated aft Democrats outperformed expectations successful Tuesday’s midterm elections, helping him tamp down Democratic calls for him to see ending his presidency aft 1 term.

Biden connected Wednesday was asked astir his gathering with Xi and what helium was hoping to get retired of it.

“I’m not consenting to marque immoderate cardinal concessions,” helium said during a quality conference, earlier citing immoderate of his erstwhile meetings with the Chinese leader.

“I’ve told him: I’m looking for contention — not conflict,” helium said.

Biden said helium hoped helium and Xi tin outline what reddish lines each countries person that are captious to their nationalist interests, to find whether they are successful struggle and however to resoluteness them.

“I’m definite we’ll sermon … Taiwan, and I’m definite we’ll sermon a fig of different issues, including just commercialized and relationships relating to his narration with different countries successful the region,” Biden said. “So there’s a batch we’re going to person to discuss.”

Asked specifically if helium would archer Xi that helium is committed to defending Taiwan, Biden responded, “I’m going to person that speech with him.”

The U.S.-China narration has faced further tensions successful caller months aft House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Taiwan successful August. Xi asked Biden days earlier Pelosi’s sojourn to find a mode to support the speaker, who is 2nd successful enactment to the presidency, from visiting, aft Chinese officials issued myriad warnings to U.S. counterparts of what China mightiness bash successful retaliation for the visit to the self-governing land that Beijing considers portion of its territory.

After Pelosi’s visit, China said it would cancel oregon suspend dialog with the United States connected issues including clime change, subject relations and anti-drug efforts. U.S. officials said astatine the clip that China was punishing the satellite by halting clime talks, including susceptible nations successful the Indo-Pacific.

But Biden has besides enactment China connected borderline implicit the contented of Taiwan with his ain remarks. On respective occasions, Biden has said the United States is acceptable to support Taiwan if it faces an unprecedented onslaught oregon penetration from China, but has said helium does not enactment the land nation’s independence.

Ellen Nakashima successful Washington contributed to this report.