Can Biden and Xi get the US-China relationship back on track?
The IndependentJoe Biden and Xi Jinping certainly have plenty to talk about – and in San Francisco they have at least a few hours to do so. The meeting between the two – during a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum – is the first in a year, and Xi’s first trip to the US since former president Donald Trump said they spoke over the “most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you’ve ever seen” at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in 2017. The meeting, which is due to be around four hours, is expected to cover global issues from the conflict in the Middle East to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea’s ties with Russia, Taiwan, human rights, artificial intelligence, as well as “fair” trade and economic relations. Biden is set to tell Xi that the US remains committed to standing with its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, in the face of Chinese pressure against democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own, and in the South and East China Seas. With elections in Taiwan in early 2024, political analysts expect China to seek US assurances that it will do nothing to encourage pro-independence elements, while Xi will also be hoping to persuade Biden to ease up on tariffs and the export controls that aim to keep the most advanced semiconductors from being sent to China.