US president Joe Biden will hold an in-person meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping today for the first time since being elected to the White House nearly two years ago.
The world’s two most powerful leaders will meet in Bali, Indonesia on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit for talks on issues ranging from Beijing’s aggression towards Taiwan to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Biden is expected to push for a commitment to maintaining “peace and stability” in Taiwan. as China has repeatedly stated its goal of “reunifying” with the island, by force if necessary.
Although the two leaders have had virtual meetings in the past, Monday’s talks are aimed at “resetting” Washington’s relationship with Beijing.
“We have very little misunderstanding,” Mr Biden told reporters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
“We just got to figure out where the red lines are and … what are the most important things to each of us going into the next two years.”
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will also arrive in Bali to attend the summit today, and is expected to hold talks with the newly-elected British prime minister Rishi Sunak.
Biden aims to ‘reset’ US-China ties
06:48 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Joe Biden will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in person today for the first time since becoming president, and is looking to “reset” relations between the two nations.
“We have very little misunderstanding,” Mr Biden told reporters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he participated in a gathering of southeast Asian nations before leaving for Indonesia.
“We just got to figure out where the red lines are and … what are the most important things to each of us going into the next two years.”
Mr Biden added: “His circumstance has changed, to state the obvious, at home.” The president said of his own situation: “I know I’m coming in stronger.”
Australian PM Anthony Albanese to meet China’s Xi
06:48 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese will hold a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday.
“Australia will put forward our own position. I look forward to having a constructive discussion with President Xi tomorrow,” Mr Albanese said.
Australia last year signed a trilateral defence pact with the US and Britain called “Aukus” to deter China’s growing aggression, ranging from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Taiwan and Ukraine to dominate Xi-Biden talks
06:34 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping will meet in Bali on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Monday, in a highly anticipated first face-to-face meeting since the Democrat entered the White House as president.
The talks come at a tense time for US-China relations, with ongoing acrimonies and differences of opinion over Ukraine and Taiwan in particular.
The US president is unwilling to make any “fundamental concessions” and will want to raise the issue of Taiwan to lay out America’s “red lines”, Mr Biden said.
Shweta Sharma reports.
Biden and Xi to meet on G20 sidelines with Taiwan and Ukraine set to dominate talks
06:05 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
