Biden and Xi to Discuss Global Issues and Tensions in Face-to-Face Meeting ( #1fdab2fb , v0.11)

US President Joe Biden is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay area. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and will cover a range of global issues, including the Israel-Hamas war, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, North Korea's ties with Russia, Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, human rights, fentanyl, artificial intelligence, and trade and economic relations. The meeting is expected to result in greater diplomacy and promises to talk more on key issues, but deep progress will be challenging as both countries see themselves in direct competition. Biden is expected to raise sensitive topics such as Chinese influence operations in foreign elections and the status of US citizens detained in China. He will also express a commitment to the security of the Philippines and press Xi to discourage Iran from expanding the conflict in the Middle East.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in San Francisco for two days of bilateral meetings. The talks will take place before the APEC summit, which is expected to provide a platform for President Biden and President Xi to meet. If Xi skips the meeting, it could lead to increased focus on trade agreements like the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), diminishing the influence of the US-backed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). China's role in the RCEP could come at the expense of the United States. The US continues to form alliances with countries like India and groups like ASEAN to counter China's influence. Xi will only visit the US if he can gain something from it. China's diplomatic strategy of not taking sides allows it to maintain close ties with Russia and North Korea, indirectly tying down the US. A face-to-face meeting between Xi and Biden would send a message that a cold war between China and the US will not escalate. If Xi does not attend, it may impact the conflict between China and the US over the South China Sea. China is trying to build a new international architecture to reflect its growing power, as it believes current institutions were created by the US and have outlived their usefulness.

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China has sent a letter to President Biden urging him to raise the issue of political prisoners with President Xi during their meeting at the APEC summit. The commission called for an immediate end to Beijing's transnational repression activities in the US and requested Biden to submit a list of political prisoners to Xi. The letter identified 40 political prisoners, including Uygurs, Tibetans, Hong Kong residents, Chinese human rights defenders, Christians, and adherents of other religious faiths. The prisoners have reportedly been subjected to torture and denied critical medical care. The list also included three US citizens and lawful permanent residents. The commission emphasized the importance of shedding light on the cases of individual detainees and preventing their words from becoming true.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson commented on Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming trip to the United States for a China-U.S. summit meeting and the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. The spokesperson mentioned that the two presidents will discuss important issues regarding China-U.S. relations and global peace and development. President Xi's attendance at the APEC meeting reflects China's emphasis on Asia-Pacific economic cooperation. The spokesperson expressed the hope for deepening solidarity and cooperation among all parties at the meeting to provide new growth impetus for the Asia-Pacific and the wider world.

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