U.S. officials said President Joe Biden will likely meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Saturday, in what would be their first interaction since a call last April.
US President Joe Biden is likely to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday, senior government officials in Washington said, as Beijing prepares for a potentially more confrontational period under Donald Trump.
The leaders will hold talks on a range of contentious global issues, including rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima.
It will be the first known interaction between the two since a phone call in April. “The talks are not easy,” one official said. “That openness has been important in managing the relationship.”
Biden and Xi have tried to keep tensions at bay on issues ranging from Taiwan to the South China Sea, North Korea and Russia, and Washington's demands for more Chinese help to stem the flow of fentanyl ingredients, the main cause of drug overdose in the United States.
Various topics on the agenda
Biden and Xi resumed leader-level talks last November, which produced more cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking but little progress on larger issues, such as a possible conflict over Taiwan, the democratically governed island that China claims as its own. territory.
The Democratic administration last month finalized rules restricting U.S. investment in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors in China, which will take effect in January. That followed Biden raising tariffs on more products from the Asian giant.
Beijing rejected both measures as counterproductive.
Trump has promised to adopt blanket tariffs of 60% on imports of Chinese goods as part of a package of trade measures under the slogan “America First.”
Beijing opposes these measures.
Xi reportedly called Trump last week to congratulate him on his election victory. The Republican will take office on January 20.