President Biden Signals Potential Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at APEC Summit Amidst Rising Tensions

 US President Joe Biden has hinted at the possibility of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco next month. Although no meeting has been scheduled, Biden mentioned that it is a possibility. The two leaders have not engaged in discussions since their last meeting in November 2022. However, the White House has expressed its desire for the two leaders to hold talks, and members of the administration have been actively working to secure a meeting with the Chinese side. Tensions between the US and China have remained high over the past year.

The Biden administration intercepted a Chinese surveillance balloon that crossed the entire United States and implicated Chinese authorities in a cyberattack targeting the emails of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Additionally, the US government has imposed restrictions on the export of advanced computer chips to China. The relationship between the two countries has also been strained by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's increased assertiveness in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing has remained on the sidelines since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but the White House has publicized a US intelligence assessment suggesting that China has considered assisting Moscow with weaponry.

Despite these differences, there have been efforts to manage the relationship in recent months. Chinese and US officials have engaged in talks, and there have been visits between high-ranking officials from both countries. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is also set to lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to China next week. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, declined to comment on the possibility of a Biden-Xi meeting in San Francisco but acknowledged that the two countries are in communication on bilateral engagement and exchange.

China has emphasized the need for both countries to work together, resolve differences, and enhance dialogue and cooperation in good faith. The APEC summit in November may present one of the last opportunities for substantive communication between the two leaders as the 2024 US presidential race heats up. President Biden, who has expressed his intention to seek re-election, is likely to face opposition scrutinizing his approach to China.