President Joe Biden said he would potentially meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit but that no sit-down is scheduled.
(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden said he would potentially meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit but that no sit-down is scheduled.
“There has been no such meeting set up, but it’s a possibility,” Biden told reporters Friday at the White House.
The US and China are moving closer to arranging a meeting between Biden and Xi on the sidelines of the summit in San Francisco, but officials in Beijing have not yet signed off on the plans, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.
The two leaders have not met in-person since last year’s Group of 20 summit in Bali, underscoring the tense relationship between the world’s two largest economies. The Biden administration’s efforts to reinvigorate diplomatic ties with Xi’s government have produced uneven results, as the two nations continue to trade jabs over issues ranging from export controls and espionage to Taiwan.
Read More: Biden-Xi Meeting More Likely as Teams Scout San Francisco Venue
US and Chinese advance teams have scouted meeting sites in San Francisco before a likely sit-down, according to the people familiar with the planning. But Xi, who skipped last month’s G-20 summit in India and whose government has expressed frustration with Biden’s recent comments, hasn’t committed to the meeting.
Leaders from APEC nations are scheduled to meet Nov. 11-17 in San Francisco.
–With assistance from Jenny Leonard.
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