Washington [US]: US President Joe Biden is set to virtually meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, marking the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office. This meeting is likely to cover several topics including tensions over China’s military activity near Taiwan and human rights, as well as issues concerning climate change. This virtual meet comes after the US and China reached a deal on a joint statement on the need to tackle climate change at COP26 in Glasgow, UK. “In the evening of Monday, November 15 in Washington, D.C., President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will meet virtually with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC),” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said a statement. The two leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC, as well as ways to work together where their interests align, the statement added. Psaki further added that President Biden will make clear US intentions and priorities and be clear and candid about America’s concerns with China. No major deliverables are expected from the meeting but Biden and Xi are likely to discuss issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, visa restrictions, arms control and a possible framework to ease tensions between the two countries, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported. The meeting will put to the test Biden’s approach of trying to work with Beijing on areas of potential compromise while raising objections to China’s position on rights issues, its trade practices and its increasing military activity, The Hill reported. Biden, in recent days, has rebuked China, saying, President Xi Jinping’s decision to skip a United Nations climate summit was a “big mistake” because it would diminish Beijing’s influence. China subsequently hit back at America over the criticism.
