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U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are meeting for discussions at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco after a year without talks. The meeting is expected to tackle issues ranging from military conflicts and drug-trafficking to artificial intelligence. However, both sides have set low expectations due to the long-standing disagreements between them on issues such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, the Israel-Hamas war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea, and human rights. The arrival of both leaders in San Francisco has not been without disagreements, as they are met with demonstrations for and against China’s Communist Party.
Biden has been eager to establish a meaningful personal relationship with Xi, hoping to prevent their increasingly strained ties from turning hostile. The strategic location of the meeting, at Filoli Estate outside of San Francisco, has been carefully chosen for its security and seclusion. During the meeting, Biden is expected to press Xi on various topics, including urging China to influence Iran to avoid provocative actions, addressing allegations of election interference, and the status of detained U.S. citizens in China. He will also push for concrete steps to address the flow of fentanyl from China, military communications, the growth of artificial intelligence technologies, trade, and climate issues.
Amid these discussions, regional expectations are for Beijing to test Washington’s focus on events in Ukraine and Israel, as China pursues its own ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. Biden, in turn, is expected to assert that U.S. commitments in the Indo-Pacific remain unchanged, addressing China’s perceived aggression in international dispute areas such as the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and East China Sea.
The complexity and burst in the upcoming talks suggest ongoing uncertainty and potential shifts in global dynamics due to the competition between these two global superpowers.
Source: (“U.S. President Joe Biden disembarks from Air Force One at San Francisco International Airport, as he arrives to attend the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 14, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File Photo”)
