WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden said Friday (Oct 6) he may meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November as Washington and Beijing push to reset ties, but added that nothing is scheduled yet.
The leaders of the rival powers have not met in person or spoken for nearly a year, and tensions have mounted as an increasingly assertive China and the United States vie for global influence.
“There has been no such meeting set up, but it is a possibility,” Biden told journalists after reports that they were set to meet during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco.
Biden is set to host leaders from across the region on Nov 16 and Nov 17 in the California city, and speculation has mounted that it could be the venue for a rapprochement.
The White House had begun making plans for a meeting on the sidelines of the summit in a bid to stabilise relations, The Washington Post reported, quoting one official as saying it “it’s pretty firm”.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit Washington at some point ahead of the APEC summit.
Beijing however has not confirmed whether Xi will attend the summit or meet with his US counterpart. The White House has also declined to elaborate on a potential meeting with Xi.
Source: CNA
