US President Biden set to meet China's Xi on November 15 to 'stabilise' ties

United States President Joe Biden will be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco on November 15 with the aim to "stabilise" recent tensions which brewed between the powers, said the US officials.

"President Biden will indeed meet with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China in the San Francisco Bay area of California on November 15," stated a senior US official, while speaking to reporters on Thursday (Nov 9).

"Our goal will be to try to take steps that indeed stabilise the relationship between United States and China, remove some areas of misunderstanding and open up new lines of communication. We are in competition with China, but we do not seek conflict confrontation or a new Cold War. We're for managing the competition responsibly,” he added.

ALSO READ |US, China finance chiefs open talks with eye on curbing tensions

Confirming the date of the long-awaited meeting, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement said, “President Biden will meet with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on November 15. The Leaders will discuss issues in the US-PRC bilateral relationship, the continued importance of maintaining open lines of communication, and a range of regional and global issues.”

“Building on their last meeting in November 2022 in Bali, Indonesia, the Leaders will also discuss how the United States and the PRC can continue to responsibly manage competition and work together where our interests align, particularly on transnational challenges that affect the international community,” the statement added.]

Add WION as a Preferred Source

No immediate confirmation regarding the meeting came from Beijing.

Brimming tensions between US, China

Biden and Xi are also likely to discuss important global issues like Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, along with the tensions brimming over the island of Taiwan.

The two leaders have not met since their last face-to-face meeting in Bali in November 2022.

Biden and Xi are to take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit which will be held in San Francisco next week.

Washington and Beijing have remained at odds in the last few years as the two countries are vying for global influence, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

WATCH |US & Chinese finance ministers hold talks, setting stage for Xi-Biden meet

US officials confirmed that the talks between Biden and Xi would be "very broad" and that they were "not talking about a long list of outcomes or deliverables" at the end. "Nothing will be held back, everything will be on the table," stated the US official.

However, Biden and Xi are likely to speak about the "absolutely crucial" issue of restoring a military hotline between the US and China so as to prevent any escalations between the two nations.

"We expect they'll cover a range of regional and global issues too, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict," the US official stated.

(With inputs from agencies)