G20 Summit: US, China pedal back tensions with Xi-Biden meet; Blinken visit in works

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 14

China and the US resolved to keep an open line of communication in order to prevent competition veering into conflict. China had shut down military-to-military and other lines of communication with the US after a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

As the first step to maintain communication, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Beijing, the two leaders agreed.

Meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time since he took over as US President, Joe Biden explained that the US would continue to compete vigorously with China, including by “investing in sources of strength at home and aligning efforts with allies and partners around the world”.

“This competition should not veer into conflict and the US and China must manage it responsibly,” said a White House readout. The two leaders, meeting in Bali on the eve of the G20 Summit, discussed the importance of developing principles that would advance these goals and tasked their teams to discuss these further, it added.

Xi spoke about charting a “flight course” for the relationship between the two superpowers, which was important not only for the two countries, but also for the whole world. He also said there was “no intention to challenge or displace the US”, according to Xinhua.

During their meeting, Xi said he also looked forward to working with Biden to bring China-US relations back to the track of healthy and stable growth to the benefit of the two countries and the whole world. Xi pointed out the current state of China-US relations was not in the fundamental interests of the two countries and people, and was not what the international community expected.

The US was unable to get any condemnation of Russia out of the Chinese except for both leaders stating that a nuclear war should never be fought and could never be won. They also underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Biden though “raised Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and Russia’s irresponsible threats of nuclear use”.

On Taiwan, Biden said the “One China policy” had not changed and raised objections to China’s coercive actions toward Taiwan. He also raised concerns about China’s non-market economic practices, which “harm American workers”, the White House stated.

US Prez brings up Taiwan

• President Biden raised objections to China’s coercive and increasingly aggressive actions towards Taiwan
• Also raised concerns about China’s non-market economic practices, which ‘harm American workers and families, and workers and families around the world’

PM Modi likely to meet Biden, Sunak

• PM Modi is likely to meet US President Biden, PM Rishi Sunak and French President Macron among other leaders at the G20 Summit
• It wasn't clear if a separate meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping is in the works
• If it takes place, it will be the first one-on-one interaction since the Galwan valley clash in June 2020

Competition should not veer into conflict and US and China must manage it responsibly. — Joe Biden, US prez

No intention to challenge or displace the US. Good ties important for the whole world. — Xi Jinping, Chinese President

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