Biden, Xi prepare to meet ahead of G20 summit overshadowed by Ukraine - Reuters

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Chinese person Xi Jinping arrived connected the Indonesian land of Bali connected Monday for a long-awaited gathering with U.S. President Joe Biden, up of a Group of 20 (G20) acme acceptable to beryllium fraught with hostility implicit Russia's penetration of Ukraine.

The 2 leaders are expected to discuss Taiwan, Ukraine and North Korea's atomic ambitions, issues that volition besides loom implicit the G20 that opens connected Tuesday without Russian President Vladimir Putin successful attendance.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov volition correspond the Russian president astatine the G20 acme - the archetypal since Russia invaded Ukraine successful February - aft the Kremlin said Putin was excessively engaged to attend.

On the eve of Monday's gathering with Xi, Biden told Asian leaders successful Cambodia that U.S. connection lines with China would enactment unfastened to forestall conflict, with pugnacious talks astir definite successful the days ahead. He arrived successful Bali precocious connected Sunday.

Relations betwixt the superpowers person sunk to their lowest successful decades, marred by increasing tensions successful caller years implicit a big of issues ranging from Hong Kong and Taiwan to the South China Sea, commercialized practices and U.S. restrictions connected Chinese technology.

But U.S. officials said determination person been quiescent efforts by some Beijing and Washington implicit the past 2 months to repair ties.

"These meetings bash not instrumentality spot successful isolation, they are portion of a precise sustained process," said 1 Biden medication official. "We person engaged successful serious, sustained - dozens and dozens of hours - of quiescent diplomacy down the scenes.

"I deliberation we are satisfied with the seriousness that some sides person brought to that process."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told reporters the gathering was "intended to stabilise the narration betwixt the United States and China, and to make a much definite ambiance for U.S. businesses".

She said that Biden has been wide with China astir nationalist information concerns regarding restrictions connected delicate U.S. technologies and has raised interest astir the reliability of Chine proviso chains for commodities similar minerals.

MEETING AT LUXURY HOTEL

Biden and Xi, who person held 5 phone oregon video calls since Biden became president successful January 2021, past met successful idiosyncratic during the Obama medication erstwhile Biden was vice president.

Monday's face-to-face gathering volition beryllium astatine The Mulia, a luxury beachside edifice connected Nusa Dua bay successful Bali. It is improbable to nutrient a associated statement, the White House has said.

Both leaders volition be the opening of the G20 acme connected Tuesday.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the big of the summit, said he hoped the gathering could "deliver factual partnerships that tin assistance the satellite successful its economical recovery".

However, 1 of the main topics astatine the G20 volition beryllium Russia's warfare successful Ukraine and Biden volition beryllium "unapologetic" successful his defence of the European nation, U.S. officials said past week.

Xi and Putin person grown progressively adjacent successful caller years, bound by their shared distrust of the West, and reaffirmed their concern conscionable days earlier Russia invaded Ukraine. But China has been cautious not to supply immoderate nonstop worldly enactment that could trigger Western sanctions against it.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang emphasised the "irresponsibility" of atomic threats during the acme successful Cambodia, suggesting China was uncomfortable with strategical spouse Russia's atomic rhetoric, the Biden medication authoritative said.

The West has accused Russia of making irresponsible statements connected the imaginable usage of atomic weapons since its February penetration of Ukraine. Russia has successful crook accused the West of "provocative" atomic rhetoric.

Russia's Lavrov said connected Sunday the West was "militarising" Southeast Asia successful a bid to incorporate Russian and Chinese interests, mounting the signifier for much confrontation with Western leaders astatine the G20.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said helium would code the G20 gathering by videolink connected Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to conscionable Lavrov astatine the summit, a Downing Street spokesperson said. He is besides apt to clasp a bilateral gathering with Biden.

Sunak volition call connected G20 for coordinated enactment to code economical instability and the rising outgo of surviving successful the aftermath of Russia's penetration of Ukraine, his authorities said.

The G20, which includes countries ranging from Brazil to India and Germany, accounts for much than 80% of the world's gross home merchandise (GDP) and 60% of its population.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was owed to articulation Widodo to code a parallel B20 concern forum taking spot connected Monday up of the summit. Albanese said helium would meet Xi connected Tuesday, which helium has called a affirmative improvement aft years of tension.

Billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and Twitter Inc, addressed the concern forum and said helium had "too overmuch work" connected his plate.

Speaking by videolink, helium appeared lit by candles, wearing a batik garment sent by the organisers. He said helium was speaking from a spot that had conscionable mislaid power.

Reporting by Nandita Bose, Fransiska Nangoy, Leika Kihara, David Lawder and Simon Lewis successful Nusa Dua; Writing by Kay Johnson and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Ed Davies and Robert Birsel

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