The first face-to-face meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping opened with a frank and direct exchange about issues facing the U.S. and China. Biden said there was no substitute for direct discussion on the issues facing the two countries and the world.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed a range of issues including the trade imbalance between the U.S. and China, climate change, the situation in the South China Sea, and the U.S.-China competition over technology.
At the outset of the meeting, Biden spoke of the relationship between the U.S. and China as one of “cooperation and competition”. He noted that it was important for the two countries to find a way to “work together” to “solve global problems and confront global threats”.
In response, Xi emphasized the need for mutual respect and emphasized that while the two countries have differences, they should seek to “manage divergences through dialogue and consultation and promote cooperative solutions”.
The Biden-Xi meeting comes at a critical moment in U.S.-China relations, as tensions between the two countries have been escalating for the past several years. It has been years since the two presidents have met in person and many had expected that the meeting might become heated due to major disagreements between the two sides over issues such as human rights, trade, and technology.
Instead, the meeting appeared to be cordial and the two sides were able to have a frank discussion about their issues without the disagreements boiling over. This was an encouraging sign for those who are hoping for a reset in the U.S.-China relationship.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Biden said, “there’s no substitute for face-to-face discussions when it comes to specific issues”, affirming the importance of direct dialogue between the two countries. Going forward, it will be important for the two sides to make good use of this direct dialogue to help resolve their differences and find a way to cooperate. Only time will tell if this meeting will prove to be the beginning of a new era in the U.S.-China relationship.
