WASHINGTON —
President Joe Biden is set to engage in discussions with China’s Xi Jinping on Saturday at an international summit in Peru. This in-person meeting occurs as China prepares for the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House.
A senior official from the Biden administration, who requested to remain unnamed due to the sensitivity of the information, confirmed that the meeting will occur while the two leaders are attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, scheduled just over two months before Trump takes office again.
The official refrained from commenting on how Biden and his team would address the likely inquiries from Xi and Chinese officials regarding the upcoming Trump administration. Additionally, it remains unclear whether Biden will discuss U.S.-China relations with Trump during the president-elect’s visit to the White House on Wednesday. The official merely stated that the future administration will need to navigate the challenging and complex relationship.
In his campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump vowed to impose a sweeping 60% tariffs on all Chinese imports to the United States, an action that would significantly impact the already strained relationship between Washington and Beijing.
The two nations have long faced substantial disagreements, particularly regarding China’s backing of Russia amid its ongoing war in Ukraine, various human rights issues, technology disputes, and the situation surrounding Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that China regards as part of its territory. A potential second term for Trump is likely to intensify U.S.-China relations more than during his initial term, which already saw tariffs placed on over $360 billion worth of Chinese products.
This trade conflict pushed Beijing to negotiate, resulting in a 2020 trade agreement in which China promised to strengthen intellectual property rights and increase purchases of American products by $200 billion. However, subsequent studies indicated that China failed to meet its commitments effectively.
For several months, the White House has been making efforts to facilitate a final meeting between Xi and Biden prior to Biden’s departure from office in January. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan visited Beijing in late August for discussions with his Chinese counterpart and had a meeting with Xi. Following those discussions, Sullivan suggested that a conclusive meeting between Xi and Biden could occur at the APEC summit or the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro, which both leaders are set to attend.
Throughout his presidency, Biden has aimed to maintain a stable relationship with Xi, even amidst ongoing concerns regarding what the U.S. perceives as negative actions from Beijing. U.S. intelligence has indicated a significant increase in Chinese sales to Russia, encompassing machine tools and microelectronics, which Moscow utilizes to manufacture weapons for its conflict in Ukraine. Recently, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on two Chinese firms implicated in assisting Russia with long-range drone attacks against Ukraine.
Tensions escalated last year when Biden authorized the shooting down of a Chinese surveillance balloon that had crossed the U.S. territory. Simultaneously, the Biden administration has been vocal in criticizing China’s military assertiveness toward nations like Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan. On the campaign trail, Trump frequently mentioned his initial positive rapport with Xi, which later became fraught due to disagreements over trade policies and the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak.
In a message congratulating Trump on his win over Harris, Xi reportedly encouraged U.S.-China cooperation and management of differences in this new phase of relations, according to Chinese state media.
Biden is expected to address several critical issues in his upcoming meeting with Xi, including curbing the flow of Chinese-made chemicals linked to fentanyl production, concerns regarding China’s indirect support for Russia, cybersecurity threats, and the necessity for effective military communication.
This Saturday’s talks will mark the third interaction between Biden and Xi during Biden’s presidency, following their previous meeting in November at the 2023 APEC summit in Woodside, California, and a phone conversation in April.