Presidents Biden and Xi To Meet on Nov. 14 at the G20 in Bali

Nov. 10, 2022 (EIRNS)—In a very brief statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced today that President Joe Biden would meet with his Chinese President Xi Jinping, next Monday, Nov. 14 in Bali one day prior to the opening of the Nov. 15-16 G20 summit. This is the first in-person meeting Biden and Xi have held since taking office. Amidst significant tensions, the purpose of the meeting, Jean-Pierre said, is to discuss efforts “to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the P.R.C., responsibly manage competition, and work together where our interests align, especially on transnational challenges that affect the international community.” Almost as an afterthought, her statement adds that the two will discuss “a range of regional and global issues.”

The Wall Street Journal today quoted a senior administration official who explained that “the President believes it is critical to build a floor for the relationship and ensure that there are rules of the road that bound our competition.”

During a press conference at the White House yesterday, Biden said that in a meeting with Xi, “I’m not willing to make any fundamental concessions.... I’m looking for competition not conflict.” On the issue of Taiwan, on which he has difficulty speaking with any clarity, Biden responded to a question about his previous statement that he would respond militarily to China if it attacked Taiwan, by saying he’s “going to have that conversation” with Xi. He then added that “the Taiwan doctrine has not changed at all.”

Biden explained that what he wanted to discuss with Xi “is to lay out what each of our red lines are—understand what he believes to be in the critical national interests of China, what I know to be the critical interests of the United States and determine whether or not they conflict with one another. And if they do, how to resolve, and how to work that out.”