Biden expects to meet Xi Jinping later this year amid tensions

Washington DC: Despite escalating tensions with Beijing, US President Joe Biden is still hopeful of meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this year, CNN reported on Friday (local time).

Notably, the two leaders are expected to meet in November this year, on the sidelines of an Asian leaders summit hosted by Biden.

Biden told CNN on Friday that he hopes to follow up on last year’s meeting with Xi "this fall."

"I expect and hope to follow up on our conversation from Bali this fall – that’s my expectation," Biden said.

These remarks came hours after Washington in a joint statement — after the trilateral summit between US, Japan and South Korea — denounced the "dangerous and aggressive actions" by China in the Indo-Pacific region and opposed attempts to change the status quo in Indo-Pacific.

"We share concerns about actions inconsistent with the rules-based international order, which undermine regional peace and prosperity. Recalling the publicly announced position of each of our countries regarding the dangerous and aggressive behaviour supporting unlawful maritime claims that we have recently witnessed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea, we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific," the statement read.

They three countries also opposed the militarization of reclaimed features; the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels and coercive activities,



and further expressed concern about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

"We reiterate our firm commitment to international law, including the freedom of navigation and overflight, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The July 2016 award in the South China Sea arbitration sets out the legal basis for the peaceful resolution of maritime conflicts between the parties to that proceeding. We reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community. There is no change in our basic positions on Taiwan, and we call for a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues," the joint statement added.

Notably, Biden and Xi last spoke in person on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali last November.

The two leaders have however, spoken on phone several times, and officials said they expect the two men to speak again soon, potentially on the sidelines of an Asian leaders summit Biden is hosting in November in San Francisco, CNN reported.

Earlier this month, in a scathing attack on China, Biden had described Xi’s China as a "ticking time bomb" citing economic concerns. In June, Biden had even called XI a "dictator". Both statements were denounced by Beijing.

In another major decision, Biden administration imposed restrictions on US investment in high-tech areas in China and barred exports of advanced microchips.