In addition to hoping to calm tensions between the two countries after a period of unrest, President Biden of the United States is ready to take President Xi Jinping to task over trade, Beijing’s growing ties to Iran, and human rights issues. The two presidents will meet on Wednesday at a country estate.
The leaders will have their first conversation in a year when they meet off-site at an Asian-Pacific leaders’ meeting. The U.S. downing of a Chinese spy balloon that had crossed the continental United States and disagreements over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, China’s hacking of a Biden official’s emails, and other incidents have since further strained already tense ties between the two economic superpowers.
According to three senior administration officials, the leaders will have one-on-one conversations at Filoli Estate, a country residence and museum around 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco, even though they are in California for the yearly Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The officials spoke about the location, which was under strict security and had not yet been verified by the Chinese or White House. They asked to remain anonymous.
Both men want to demonstrate to the world that although China and the United States are economic rivals, they are not engaged in a global competition with no room for second place. Their disagreements about Taiwan, export restrictions, and the wars in the Middle East and Europe have come to define their relationship more and more.
Biden is anticipated to inform Xi that he would like China to utilize its influence over Iran to explicitly state that Tehran or its allies must refrain from taking any actions that would escalate the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Chinese, a significant purchaser of Iranian oil, are also viewed by the Biden administration as having significant influence with Iran, a key supporter of Hamas.
On Tuesday, Biden hailed the meeting as an opportunity to put Beijing and Washington “back on a normal course corresponding.”
John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Council, asserted that Biden would “not be afraid to confront where confrontation is needed on issues where we don’t see eye to eye.”
“As a self-assured nation, we also won’t be scared to engage in diplomacy on ways that we can work with China—on clean energy technology and climate change, for example.” Kirby added.
Biden’s priorities will be controlling the two nations’ escalating economic rivalry and maintaining open channels of communication to avoid miscommunications that can spark outright hostilities between the two superpowers.
Even though he is anticipated to support the United States’ efforts to expand export restrictions on semiconductor chips, he will also reassure Chinese President Xi that Beijing is not being targeted in an economic war, despite persistent indications that China’s economy is still reeling from the pandemic’s disruptions.
Meanwhile, Xi is waiting on Biden to guarantee that the United States will neither back Taiwan’s independence, ignite a new cold war, or stifle China’s economic expansion. He is eager to demonstrate to the United States that investing in China is a wise decision.
There were several indications of a thaw even before to their meeting: The United States and China, two of the greatest polluters in the world, have committed to pursuing efforts to treble the worldwide capacity for renewable energy by 2030, using wind, solar, and other renewable sources, according to a statement released by the State Department on Tuesday.
There was also hope that the meeting on Wednesday would result in some tangible agreements, such as the restoration of military-to-military communications, which had ceased substantially in August 2022, and the reduction of illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is becoming a bigger cause of drug overdoses in the United States. China is the source of several of the chemicals needed in the drug’s production.
Significant protests have already been sparked by the APEC summit festivities, and more were predicted for Wednesday. These protests would target global firms that prioritize profits as well as Xi.
The U.S. economy is showing signs of being in a stronger position than China’s, and the country is forging stronger connections throughout the Pacific, according to White House officials briefing reporters hours before the meeting.
At a campaign dinner on Tuesday night, the US president cited his planned meeting as evidence that “reestablished American leadership in the world is taking hold.” The president informed funders that China has “real problems.”
The IMF has lowered its growth projections for China, now projecting 4.2% growth in 2024 and 5% growth this year. These projections represent a modest decrease from earlier estimates. Beijing published economic data last month that revealed declining prices as a result of weak consumer and industry demand.
Conversely, Biden has taken great satisfaction in disproving the opinions of a broad group of economists who suggested that a recession and millions of layoffs could be necessary to lower inflation. According to the Labor Department, consumer prices increased at a 3.2% annual rate on Tuesday, compared to a 9.1% peak in June 2022. Employers continue to hire in the interim, and the unemployment rate has remained below 4% for almost two years.
Following his meeting with Biden on Wednesday, Xi will speak to American business executives at a dinner costing $2,000 per plate. This will be a unique chance for American business leaders to speak with the Chinese leader directly and ask questions about Beijing’s tightening security regulations, which they fear could stifle foreign investment.
Foreign businesses who operate in China claim that the business climate is being negatively impacted by Washington’s concerns over trade, technology, and other issues, and that this has caused some of them to reevaluate their intentions to invest in the massive market.
Sending the message to American CEOs that China was still a good location to invest was one of Xi’s main motivations for traveling to the United States, according to a senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters prior of the meeting. The official talked under the White House’s ground conditions, which included maintaining his anonymity.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said on Tuesday that he and other senators personally presented President Xi with the argument that he might improve China’s standing domestically and internationally by halting the supply of chemicals used to make fentanyl. This was discussed during a recent visit to Beijing.
Schumer stated, “It is reported that he is very concerned about the negative opinion of China in the United States.” “And I informed him that nothing could improve China’s standing slightly in the US more than halting the fentanyl supply.”
Source: ABCNEWS