Biden and Xi meet virtually as US-China chasm widens
Source: AP
By AAMER MADHANI and COLLEEN LONG
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden opened his virtual meeting with China’s Xi Jinping on Monday by saying their goal is to ensure competition “does not veer into conflict.”
The two leaders are meeting by video amid mounting tensions in the U.S.-China relationship. Biden has criticized Beijing over human rights abuses against Uyghurs in northwest China, squelching democratic protests in Hong Kong, military aggression against the self-ruled island of Taiwan and more. Xi’s deputies, meanwhile, have lashed out against the Biden White House for interfering in what it sees as internal Chinese matters.
“It seems to be our responsibility as the leaders of China and the United States to ensure that the competition between our countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended, rather than simple, straightforward competition,” Biden said at the start of the meeting.
Xi told Biden the two sides need to improve communication. The two leaders traveled together when both were vice presidents and know each other well.
President Joe Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/biden-xi-meeting-e6013378e03727b85a8f59f71fe61f4a
= new reply since forum marked as read
