The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Biden and Xi in talks at the G20
US President Joe Biden objected to China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” toward Taiwan and raised human rights concerns about Beijing’s conduct in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong during his first in-person meeting yesterday with President Xi Jinping, the White House said.
In a statement on the threehour session at the G20 summit, the White House said Mr Biden told Mr Xi that the US would “continue to compete vigorously” with China but that “competition should not veer into conflict”.
Mr Biden and Mr Xi also agreed that “a nuclear war should never be fought” and cannot be won, “and underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine”, the White House said.
That was a reference to Russian officials’ thinly-veiled threats to use atomic weapons as its nearly nine-month invasion of Ukraine has faltered.
The meeting came in the midst of Mr Biden’s seven-day, roundthe-world trip as the superpowers aimed to “manage” differences between them as they compete for global influence amid increasing economic and security tensions.
Mr Biden and Mr Xi also agreed to “empower key senior officials” on areas of potential cooperation, including tacking climate change, and maintaining global financial, health and food stability.
It was not immediately clear whether that meant China would agree to restart climate change talks that Beijing had paused in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August.
Mr Xi and Mr Biden greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the G20.
“As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict, and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual co-operation,” Mr Biden said to open the meeting.
Mr Xi called on Mr Biden to “chart the right course” and “elevate the relationship” between China and the US. He said he was ready for a “candid and in-depth exchange of views” with Mr Biden.
Both men entered the highly anticipated meeting with bolstered political standing at home.