BALI – Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping opened their high-stakes summit in Bali with a handshake on Monday, with both men vowing to manage differences and avoid conflict.
The world expects that China and the United States will properly handle the relationship, Mr Xi said, as Mr Biden said he sought to manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming conflict.
It was the two leaders first in-person meeting since the US President took office, in one of the most closely watched encounters of his presidency.
The two men met shortly after 5.30pm local time on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit. The talks were expected to last for at least two hours, after which Mr Biden plans to hold a news conference.
Good to see you, Mr Biden said to Mr Xi before they went into a meeting room.
The two sides sat at long conference tables with a display of flowers between them.
In opening remarks, Mr Biden said the US and China can manage their differences and stop competition from turning into conflict.
Im committed to keep lines of communication open between you and me personally, but our governments across the board, because our two countries have so much that we have the opportunity to deal with, said Mr Biden.
As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility in my view to show that China and the US can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming anything even near conflict and find ways to work together on urgent, global issues that require our mutual cooperation.
The world has come to a crossroads, Mr Xi said, vowing a candid discussion of issues that have riven relations between the worlds two leading powers. US President Joe Biden (left) and Chinas President Xi Jinping (right) meet on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Bali on Nov 14, 2022. PHOTO: AFP A statesman should think about and know where to lead his country. He should also think about and know how to get along with other countries and the wider world, Mr Xi told Mr Biden.
Humanity is confronted with unprecedented challenges. The world expects that China and the United States will properly handle the relationship.
Mr Xi said as two major countries, the US and China need to chart their course, find a right direction for the relationship and elevate it. He added that though he had stayed in touch with Mr Biden via video, phone calls and letters, there was no replacement for in-person meetings.
Currently, the China-US relationship is in such a situation that we all care a lot about it, because this is not the fundamental interest of our two countries and peoples, and its not what the international community expects of us, Mr Xi added. More On This Topic High stakes for US-China meeting between Xi, Biden Biden says US wont veer into conflict with China, as first summit ends in Asia Mr Xi also said that the two countries should take history as a mirror and let it guide the future.
Mr Biden said the world expects China and the United States to play a role in addressing global challenges.
The world expects, I believe, China and the United States to play key roles in addressing global challenges, from climate changes to food insecurity, and for us to be able to work together, Mr Biden added. The United States stands ready to do just that, work with you if thats what you desire.
Officials from both countries have tempered expectations for the meeting at a luxury beachside resort on Nusa Dua bay in Bali, with tensions high over US curbs on chip exports to China and the status of Taiwan.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he expected the talks to run a couple of hours, but added that they could extend longer.
Its a meeting on the margins of an international summit. So its not itself a kind of summit where theyre coming together in a third country or in Washington and Beijing, he said, reported CNN.
So, we havent set a time limit on the conversation.
Mr Bidens most senior advisers were expected to be present at the talks, while Mr Xi was expected to similarly surround himself with top aides.
The US President is seeking to prevent ties with China from deteriorating further in his meeting with Mr Xi, American officials said. More On This Topic Xi-Biden meeting viewed with, at best, cautious optimism Realpolitik in the new era of US-China relations Mr Biden was looking to build a floor under the relationship and increase communication responsibly and practically, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the meeting.
The effort to plan the meeting by itself has helped to resume more normal communications with Beijing, they said.
China cut off working-level cooperation with the US in areas including military relations and climate change after Nancy Pelosi became the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years earlier this year.
Before meeting Mr Xi, Mr Biden talked with the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Australia on Sunday, which White House officials described as prelude for the much-anticipated gathering with the Chinese leader. The President explained his approach and asked the US allies their concerns.
Mr Biden separately used a summit in Cambodia with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to firm up relationships in a region where China is by far the top trading partner.
We have very little misunderstanding, Mr Biden told reporters on Sunday in Cambodia. Weve just got to figure out where the red lines are and what we – what are the most important things to each of us going into the next two years. More On This Topic South-east Asias summit season: Will talks lead to action? Stable geopolitical environment needed; Xi-Biden meeting would set the tone: PM Lee US officials said negotiations about the meetings format went late into the night on Sunday, predicting a highly scripted affair.
The two men met at the Chinese delegations hotel, and the Chinese side required extensive precautions against Covid-19, including PCR tests for the virus and N-95 masks for US journalists accompanying Mr Biden.
Mr Xi has left his country only twice since the pandemic began. BLOOMBERG, AFP, REUTERS, XINHUA