Biden will meet Xi Jinping in coming weeks, White House says
President Joe Biden will meet with President Xi Jinping of China next month during an economic summit in San Francisco, the White House said on Tuesday afternoon, marking a significant diplomatic moment between two great world powers whose relationship has grown increasingly hostile, Politico reports.
The meeting of the two countries’ leaders comes after a flurry of diplomatic visits in recent months aimed at breaking the ice in the U.S.-China relationship. The trip also comes on the heels of a promising week in U.S.-China relations, after Gov. Gavin Newsom of California was well received in China during a visit centered on climate cooperation and as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the diplomatic rounds in Washington.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the Biden-Xi meeting during a press briefing on Tuesday, although she seemed to accidentally reveal the announcement. Previously, a White House readout from Friday said the two countries were working toward such a meeting.
“This is going to be an important diplomatic conversation,” Jean-Pierre said, describing the “intense” competition between the U.S. and China. “It’s going to be in San Francisco. It’s going to be a constructive meeting. The president’s looking forward to it.” She did not give further details about what the two will discuss, but the meeting is expected to occur on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting, which will be held Nov. 12-18.
