The presidents talk to each other before the summit of the group of major economic powers (G20) on Tuesday and Wednesday in Bali.
(Photo: Reuters)
Nusa Dua China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping has called on US President Joe Biden to put the strained relations between the two countries on the right track. Opening the talks on Monday on the Indonesian island of Bali, Xi stressed the special importance of the US and China, whose relationship “faces a lot of challenges.”
“As leaders of two great countries, we must chart the right path for US-China bilateral relations as we move forward,” Xi said. Relationships should also be raised to a higher level.
He underlined the responsibility of a statesman who leads a country: “He should also think about how other countries and the wider world should be treated.”
The world is witnessing major changes that mankind has never seen, Xi said. He was ready for a “frank and deep” conversation. Finally there is the opportunity for a personal meeting.
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Biden and Xi met in person Monday for the first time since Biden took office nearly two years ago. The presidents talk to each other before the summit of the group of major economic powers (G20) on Tuesday and Wednesday in Bali. US-China relations are at an all-time low.
The US increasingly sees China as a threat
The list of contentious issues is long: China’s backing for Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine, the trade war and US sanctions, China’s saber-rattling against democratic Taiwan, its territorial claims in the South China Sea, human rights violations and the persecution of minorities such as the Uyghurs.
>> Read here: Fighter jets in Thailand, spy ships in Sri Lanka: How China’s military is expanding its influence
China, in turn, accuses the United States of wanting to hinder its rise in the world. The US increasingly sees China as a rival and a threat to its security.
More: Damage Control in the Great Power Conflict – This is what the Biden-Xi meeting is all about