Joe Biden to meet Xi Jinping in Peru for the last time as White House dodges questions about Donald Trump
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President Joe Biden will meet with China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an economic conference in Lima Peru this weekend, according to a senior administration who took pains to avoid comment on the looming presence of Donald Trump.
'We've been working towards this meeting since National Security Sullivan visited Beijing in late August,' a senior administration official told reporters Tuesday.
The sit-down comes amid ongoing tensions with China, which has been providing financial and diplomatic support to Russia mid its war on Ukraine, threatening Taiwan, and finding ways to disrupt the U.S.-crafted rules based order.
White House officials were glad to share the incremental areas where the U.S. and China are trying to put the critical relationship on sounder footing. But the official was thrown off by repeated questions from reporters on a briefing call that centered on Trump.
'I’ll refer you to the incoming administration on any questions on what they intend to do. We really can’t comment on that,' the official said in just one of their replies, when asked about the big tariffs Trump has threatened to impose after a contentious term dealing with China.
President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Lima, Peru, a senior administration official told reporters
'I can’t comment on what the next administration will or won’t do and what their policy direction will be,' the official said when pressed.
When a reporter finally asked about whether the U.S. has already fallen behind the Chinese behemoth when it comes to infrastructure and influence in Latin America, the officially delighted in the reprieve.
'Thanks for the question and for the shift in topic as well,' said the official, stressing U.S. efforts to harness private investment overseas.
The official finally relented and reflected on the difficulties in the relationship, without revealing much. 'This is a tough, complicated relationship between the U.S .and China, and so whatever the next administration decides, they're going to need to find ways to manage that tough, complicated relationship,' the official said.
Biden and Xi have met three times during the Biden presidency, the last one in Woodside, California following heightened tensions over the Chinese spy balloon incident.
They will meet in Lima on Saturday, at the tail end of the Asia Pacific Economic Conference, shortly before Biden is set to visit the Amazon and travel to Rio de Janeiro for the annual G7 meeting.
The U.S. is endeavoring to 'manage' a relationship with China even as it supports Russia's war on Ukraine and threatens Taiwan
A senior administration official repeatedly batted down questions about Donald Trump on a day the former president met with Biden at the White House
The confirmation of a meeting, which had been expected, came on a day of another tense one-on-one – between Biden and Trump at the White House.
Biden, who Trump did not invite to a similar meeting after Biden defeated him in 2020, stressed that he would give Trump whatever he needs for an orderly transition.
Trump responded that 'politics is tough, and it's [in] many cases not a nice world, but it is a nice world today and I appreciate it very much. A transition that's so smooth it'll be as smooth as it can get.'
Biden and Xi also met in Bali in 2022 on the margins of a G20 summit.
Biden will use the meeting to 'take stock of efforts to responsibly manage competition over the last four years.'
He has 'demonstrated that our two countries can and must manage our differences and prevent competition from veering into conflict or confrontation by maintaining open lines of communication' and finding areas of shared interest.
After their California meeting, they focused on reestablishing military-to-military communications, couner-narcotics efforts amid the fentanyl epidemic, and have begun 'difficult but productive conversations about AI safety and risk.'
Biden will raise some 'concerns' with his counterpart.
He will express 'deep concern over the PRC's support for Russia's war against Ukraine' and the deployment of 10,000 North Korea troops.
On cyber, he will also say that 'reckless attacks against our critical networks are unacceptable.'
He will stress 'peace and stability' across the Taiwan Strait and say China's increased military activities are 'destabilizing.'
He 'may also express concern over PRC actions in the South China Sea,' amid continuing harassment of lawful maritime operations.
