US President Joe Biden to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping virtually today

Biden and Xi spoke on the phone for around 90 minutes in September. In February, the two leaders chatted for two hours, their first phone contact since Biden was sworn in as US President.

Team Newsable

Washington D.C., First Published Nov 15, 2021, 9:39 AM IST | Last Updated Nov 15, 2021, 9:39 AM IST

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will meet digitally on Monday to discuss methods to "responsibly manage" the two nations' competitiveness. This is the two leaders' first bilateral encounter since Biden took office in January of this year. Biden and Xi spoke on the phone for around 90 minutes in September. In February, the two leaders chatted for two hours, their first phone contact since Biden was sworn in as US President.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that the two leaders would address how to appropriately manage the rivalry between the United States and China and ways to collaborate where their interests overlap.

Psaki went on to say that President Biden will state the United States' intents and priorities, as well as be open and honest about America's worries about China. Ties between the United States and China have deteriorated due to various concerns, the most recent of which is China's military operations near Taiwan. The Biden administration has been putting pressure on Beijing on various topics, including human rights, Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Biden has also increased America's participation in the Indo-Pacific area in response to China's rising military assertiveness.

Also Read | Joe Biden vows to protect Taiwan, says no policy change; China declares no concession on island

The meeting was proposed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. He emphasised the significance of keeping lines of communication open to "responsibly manage" rivalry between the US and the People's Republic of China. The summit takes place against the background of rising tensions between two of the world's top economies over various problems ranging from human rights to Chinese aggressiveness in the Taiwan Strait. Earlier during the COP26 Summit, China and the United States announced plans to collaborate on reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade. The decision came after US Vice President Joe Biden chastised China for failing to attend the 'crucial' UN climate meeting.

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