Biden promises candor, Xi greets 'old friend' in U.S.-China talks
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[November 16, 2021]
By Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe
Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping stressed their responsibility to the
world to avoid conflict as the heads of the two top global economies
gathered for hours of talks on Monday.
"It seems to me our responsibility as leaders of China and the United
States is to ensure that our competition between our countries does not
veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended," Biden said.
"Just simple, straightforward competition."
The United States and China disagree on the origins of the COVID-19
pandemic, trade and competition rules, Beijing's expanding nuclear
arsenal and its stepped-up pressure on Taiwan, among other issues.
Calling Biden an "old friend," Xi said the two sides must increase
communication and cooperation to solve the many challenges they face.
Biden previously disputed the characterization of their relationship as
an old friendship.
Speaking through an interpreter, Xi said: "As the world's two largest
economies and the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China
and the United States need to increase communication and cooperation."
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Biden promised to address areas of concern, including human rights and
other issues in the Indo-Pacific region, adding that "you and I have
never been that formal with one another."
The talks, which were initiated by Biden and began at 7:46 p.m. on
Monday (0046 GMT Tuesday), were intended to make the relationship less
acrimonious.
The two sides took a 15-minute break after a nearly two-hour first
session that ran half an hour longer than expected, according to reports
from Chinese state media, before resuming the conversation.
The early moments of the two leaders' dialogue were observed by a small
group of reporters with Biden in the White House's Roosevelt Room before
the heads of state and top aides spoke privately. The U.S. president
smiled broadly as the Chinese president appeared on a large screen in
the conference room.
Biden and Xi have not had a face-to-face meeting since Biden became
president and the last time they spoke it was via telephone in
September.
U.S. officials have downplayed expectations for any concrete agreements
between both sides, including on trade, where China is lagging in a
commitment to buy $200 billion more in U.S. goods and services. Not on
Biden's agenda are U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods that Beijing and
business groups hope to be scaled back.
The White House has declined to answer questions on whether the United
States will send officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.
Activists and U.S. lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to
boycott the Games.
"Both sides are trying to establish the call’s goal as creating
stability in the relationship, both through their collegial language and
overall framing of the conversation and the importance of the
relationship," said Scott Kennedy, China expert at Washington's Center
for Strategic and International Studies.
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![](../images/111621PIX/news_k21.jpg)
President Joe Biden speaks virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping
from the White House in Washington, U.S. November 15, 2021.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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"The question is whether they’ll reach agreement on
anything, or at least, agree to disagree and avoid escalatory
steps."
COMPETING VISIONS
Xi, looking ahead to the Olympics and a Communist Party congress
next year where he is expected to secure an unprecedented third
term, is also keen to avoid heightened tensions with the United
States.
But he is expected to push back over Washington's efforts to carve
out more space for Taiwan in the international system. China claims
the self-ruled island as its own. Beijing has vowed to bring the
island under Chinese control, by force if necessary.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular briefing on
Monday: "It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each
other halfway, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, effectively
manage differences, properly handle sensitive issues, and explore
ways of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence."
Xi and Biden last week outlined competing visions, with Biden
stressing the U.S. commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific,"
which Washington says faces increasing Chinese "coercion," while Xi
warned against a return to Cold War tensions.
A tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily
on Monday called Taiwan "the ultimate red line of China."
Taiwan is not the only flashpoint. Democrats in the U.S. Congress
want Biden to make nuclear risk reduction measures with China a top
priority, after the Pentagon reported that Beijing was significantly
expanding its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Beijing argues its arsenal is dwarfed by those of the United States
and Russia, and says it is ready for dialogue if Washington reduces
its nuclear stockpile to China's level.
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"This is President Biden's opportunity to show steel, show strength
on America's side, to make it clear that we are going to stand by
our allies and that we will not endorse or condone the malign
behavior that China has engaged in," said Republican Senator Bill
Hagerty, who served as ambassador to Japan under former President
Donald Trump.
(Reporting by Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom, Andrea Shalal,
Alexandra Alper, Ben Blanchard, Gabriel Crossley, Yew Lun Tian and
Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather
Timmons, Michael Perry and Peter Cooney)
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