After retaining control of the US Senate, a politically stronger Joe Biden is headed for his first in-person meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the Indonesian island of Bali on Monday. The long-awaited meeting will take place ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) summit set to be fraught with tension over Russia's war in Ukraine.
Relations between the two superpowers have sunk to their lowest in decades, marred by growing tensions in recent years over a host of issues ranging from Hong Kong and Taiwan to the South China Sea, coercive trade practices and US restrictions on Chinese technology.
Here's what's likely to come up for discussion:
Taiwan: President Biden has already said that he will raise Taiwan. Xi Jinping would push for US to adhere to the "one China policy". Though US claims it has not wavered from the One China Policy, the country has been actively sending defence supplies to Taiwan much to China's discomfort that holds Taiwan as its own territory.
Russia: While China has openly sided with Russia in the Ukraine war, the expectation from the White House will be that China draws a red line on the use of nuclear option by Moscow and in fact reasons with Russia over the same.
Trade: While conflict over trade has been an ongoing issue since former President Donald Trump accused both China and India of very high tariffs, the issues with China also got aggregated during the pandemic with supply chain hiccups and the realisation that it needed diversification. Trade remains a major issue of contention with President Biden having said we want competition not conflict. US has also sanctioned goods that are manufactured in Xinjiang as a way of tapping China over human rights issue.
Indo-Pacific: US has increased its engagement with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region much to the chagrin of Beijing. For instance, China views Quad most suspiciously as a group of countries that have come together to counter China and Beijing has not been happy about the idea of IPEF - Indo-Pacific Economic Forum. China views these as a Western construct or a tool to contain China.
While both sides are not looking at any outcome at the meeting, the two superpowers expect to have a better understanding of each other after the meeting on Monday. Both leaders will "discuss efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the People's Republic of China, responsibly manage competition, work forget where our interests align especially on transnational challenges that affect the international community," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping also comes into the meeting having acquired an unprecedented third term as Communist Party of China's General Secretary. He is the undisputed leader of China who will in March of next year be approved as the President for a third term and will virtually become leader for life.
