Biden Meets Xi for 1st Time in Person Since Taking Office

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping shake hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Nov. 14, 2022. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke positively about bilateral ties on Nov. 14 during their first in-person meeting since Biden took office in 2021.

The long-awaited meeting, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, came amid deteriorated Sino–U.S. relations over a series of issues, including the Chinese regime’s rampant technology theft, human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and its aggression against Taiwan.

“We spent a lot of time together and back in the days when we were both vice presidents, and it’s just great to see you,” Biden told Xi during the press conference ahead of the bilateral meeting.

“As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from ... turning into conflict, and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation.”

Climate change and food insecurity were among the key issues Biden planned to discuss.

In response, Xi said the current “China–U.S. relationship is in such a situation that we all care a lot about it.”

“As leaders of the two major countries, we need to chart the right course for the U.S.–China relationship. We need to find the right direction for the bilateral relationship going forward and elevate the relationship,” Xi told Biden.

“Our meeting has attracted the world’s attention.”

Xi said that they need to have “candid and in-depth” exchanges on a range of issues of strategic importance.

The meeting came as the Democratic Party did better than expected in the midterm elections. On Nov. 13, the president said that the fact that his party has control of the Senate in the next Congress gave him a “stronger hand” while meeting Xi, though he noted, “I don’t need that.”

Xi, meanwhile, comes into the meeting as the most powerful leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since Mao Zedong. Last month, Xi secured a record-breaking third term in office and installed allies in the Party’s top decision-making body during the 20th National Congress.

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and China's leader Xi Jinping (R) meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Nov. 14, 2022. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan

The future of Taiwan is expected to be the focus of the meeting, while Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are also among the main issues of discussion.

During their last phone conversation in July, Xi warned Biden against “playing with fire” in regard to Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing views as its own territory. “Playing with fire will set you on fire,” Xi had told Biden.

Taiwan has endured escalated military, political, and economic pressure from Beijing this year. Following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) visit in August, Beijing launched live fire drills and 11 ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan.

The CCP also continues to fly warplanes near the island on a regular basis. On Nov. 12, Taiwan’s defense military reported that 36 Chinese military aircraft and three vessels were seen in its surrounding region.

Xi made clear the Party’s determination to quash Taiwan’s independence during a twice-a-decade political reshuffle. “We will never promise to renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary,” Xi said on Oct. 16.

A member of China's People's Liberation Army looks through binoculars during military exercises as Taiwan's frigate Lan Yang is seen in the background on Aug. 5, 2022. Lin Jian/Xinhua via AP

While Biden said that Washington isn’t seeking conflict with Beijing, analysts have warned that Xi’s consolidation of power will inevitably intensify competition between the two nations, increasing the risk of a cold war.

Xi’s ‘Sole Interest Is Global Domination’

Ahead of the Nov. 14 meeting, the White House had said that the closely watched talks were unlikely to produce a joint statement. U.S. lawmakers also warned that the Chinese regime has no interest in cooperating with the United States.

“President Xi has no interest in partnering with the United States,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wrote in an email to The Epoch Times on Nov. 13.

“His sole interest is global domination, and he will readily take advantage of the Biden administration’s weak foreign policy to inch closer to that goal.

“This meeting is an opportunity for President Biden to decisively communicate where our nation stands—with Taiwan and our freedom-loving partners around the globe and against the egregious human rights abuses of the Chinese Communist regime,” she wrote.

“If Biden is serious about standing up to the CCP, he will not agree to anything that would give them more leverage against us. The United States of America will not be bullied into abandoning our core principles. It’s time we instead focus on strengthening our military and relationships with countries who share our values of freedom and democracy.”

Cathy He and Reuters contributed to this report.