Biden and Xi’s Pledge to Avoid Conflict in Tense US-China Relations

A Face-to-Face Meeting Amidst Rising Tensions

“We must ensure that competition does not escalate into conflict.” “Turning our backs on each other is not an option for big countries like China and the United States.” President Joe Biden of the United States and President Xi Jinping of China, who held a face-to-face meeting after about a year, agreed that the increasingly heated U.S.-China competition must not escalate into a clash.

President Biden met President Xi near Woodside, San Francisco, where they held the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting on the 15th (local time). This is the second face-to-face meeting since both took office, precisely 366 days after their first summit in Bali, Indonesia, on November 14 last year. It’s been about six years since President Xi visited the U.S., the last time being during the Donald Trump administration in 2017.

Presidents Biden and Xi Reiterate Commitment to Avoiding Conflict

In his remarks that day, President Biden mentioned the long-standing relationship between the two leaders, stretching back over a decade, saying, “We have known each other for a long time. We have not agreed on all issues, but our meetings have always been honest, direct, and useful.” He further underlined the importance of the meeting, saying, “I think leaders must understand each other clearly, without misunderstanding or miscommunication.”

President Biden emphasized, “We must prevent competition between our two countries from escalating into a clash, manage it responsibly, and collaborate on issues we believe are in our interest.” Specifically, he said, “We need our joint efforts” while facing significant global challenges that range from climate change and drug control to artificial intelligence (AI).

President Xi stated, “We need to perceive and conceive the U.S.-China relationship, the most important bilateral relationship in the world, in the broad context of accelerating global transformation.” He added, “It must develop in a direction that benefits the people of both countries and fulfills our responsibility for the progress of humanity.” He assessed that “the U.S.-China relationship has never had smooth sailing in the past 50 years. We have always faced various problems,” but “we have continued to move forward despite twists and turns.”

Warning Against a Clash: Consequences and Responsibilities

Furthermore, he warned that a clash between the two countries would lead to unbearable consequences, stating, “Turning our backs on each other is not an option for big countries like China and the United States.” He added, “China and the United States have different histories, cultures, social systems, and development paths, but as long as we respect each other and pursue win-win cooperation, we can overcome differences and find the right path for both countries to get along well.”

The meeting took place amid the overt power struggle between the two countries and the turbulent international situation caused by the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Given the strategic competition and accumulated conflicts between the two countries over the years, there are hardly any expectations that the meeting will pave the way for improving bilateral relations. A year ago, the two leaders agreed on the so-called “Five No’s,” including no new Cold War and no pursuit of regime change in China, at a meeting in Bali, Indonesia, but relations between the two countries have since deteriorated due to U.S. export controls on China and the Chinese spy balloon incident.

Urgent Need for Stabilization: Factors Influencing the Meeting

However, the general assessment is an urgent need to stabilize relations between the two countries, considering the U.S. presidential election next November and the slowed economic growth in China after the pandemic. The New York Times (NYT) reported, “President Biden’s goal is simple: to find a way to avoid the increasingly fierce U.S.-China competition escalating into conflict.” The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) assessed, “There is almost no expectation of substantial changes, but the face-to-face meeting between President Biden and President Xi will be the last before the U.S. election campaign. The urgency to stabilize relations through this meeting has increased.”

Moreover, the leaders’ remarks that day confirmed some differences in viewpoints. President Xi’s comment that “it is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other” reveals China’s blatant dissatisfaction. While President Biden emphasized that China, as one of the two major countries (G2), should fulfill its role and responsibility in global issues such as climate change and drug control, President Xi focused on mutual respect and coexistence.

Post-Summit Statements and Press Conference

The meeting, which lasted about four hours, saw the attendance of 12 staff members from each side, exceeding the number at last year’s Bali meeting. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sat on either side of President Biden, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi sat next to President Xi. The current issues in U.S.-China bilateral relations, the Israel-Hamas war, the Ukraine war, and North-Russia military cooperation are among the main agenda items. Expectations are that agreement will be reached on the resumption of U.S.-China military talks, which have been severed since the visit of then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last year, and on the crackdown on fentanyl drug trafficking.

Earlier, John Kirby, White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator, confirmed during a briefing that President Biden will mention the human rights issues in Xinjiang Uighur and Hong Kong at the meeting. After the summit, both sides are expected to release statements containing the meeting results. President Biden will also hold a press conference locally.

By. Cho Seulkina