Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Conflict On Taiwan, Discover Widespread Floor On Ukraine

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden shook fingers and smiled earlier than the 2 nations’ flags at a lodge in Bali

Nusa Dua, Indonesia:

Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping clashed Monday over Taiwan however discovered areas of widespread floor in the course of the powers’ first in-person summit in three years, together with a joint warning towards Russia utilizing nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Xi and Biden each sought to decrease the temperature as they met for greater than two hours on the resort island of Bali, with the presidents each saying they wished to forestall excessive tensions from spilling over into battle.

In an indication of headway on working collectively, the White Home introduced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will go to China — essentially the most senior US customer since 2018.

Biden and Xi, who’s on solely his second abroad journey because the pandemic, shook fingers and smiled earlier than the 2 nations’ flags at a lodge in Bali, the place the Group of 20 opens a summit on Tuesday.

Biden, sitting throughout from Xi at dealing with tables, mentioned that Beijing and Washington “share accountability” to indicate the world that they’ll “handle our variations, stop competitors from changing into battle”.

Xi, China’s strongest chief in many years who’s recent from securing a norm-breaking third time period, informed Biden that the world has “come to a crossroads”.

“The world expects that China and the US will correctly deal with the connection,” Xi informed him.

Xi later informed him that China and the US “share extra, not much less” in widespread pursuits, in keeping with a Chinese language assertion.

– ‘First purple line’ –

Tensions have risen sharply over Taiwan, with China in August conducting main army workouts after a go to to the self-governing democracy, which it claims, by US Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Xi informed Biden that Taiwan is the “first purple line that should not be crossed in China-US relations,” in keeping with the Chinese language overseas ministry assertion.

The White Home mentioned that Biden informed Xi he opposed any modifications on Taiwan — after the US chief repeatedly indicated that Washington was able to defend the island militarily.

Biden raised US “objections” to China’s “coercive and more and more aggressive actions towards Taiwan, which undermine peace and stability throughout the Taiwan Strait and within the broader area, and jeopardise international prosperity,” the White Home mentioned.

Regardless of the conflict on Taiwan, the White Home indicated it had discovered some widespread floor with China on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — a excessive precedence for Biden who’s hoping to deprive Moscow of its key potential supply of worldwide help.

Xi and Biden “reiterated their settlement {that a} nuclear battle ought to by no means be fought and might by no means be received and underscored their opposition to the use or menace of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” the White Home assertion mentioned.

China, regardless of rhetorical help for Russia, has not equipped weapons for the battle in Ukraine, with Moscow obliged to depend on Iran and North Korea, in keeping with US officers.

Biden additionally nudged China to rein in ally North Korea after a record-breaking spate of missile checks has raised fears that Pyongyang will quickly perform its seventh nuclear take a look at.

Biden informed Xi that “all members of the worldwide neighborhood have an curiosity in encouraging the DPRK to behave responsibly,” the White Home mentioned, utilizing the acronym for North Korea’s official identify.

Xi’s final in-person assembly with a US president was in 2019 with Donald Trump, who together with Biden recognized China as a high worldwide concern and the one potential challenger to US primacy on the world stage. 

Though the assembly was the primary time Xi and Biden have met as presidents, the pair have an unusually lengthy historical past collectively. 

By Biden’s estimation, he spent 67 hours as vice chairman in particular person with Xi together with on a 2011 journey to China aimed toward higher understanding China’s then-leader-in-waiting, and a 2017 assembly within the remaining days of Barack Obama’s administration.

On Tuesday, Xi will maintain the primary formal sitdown with an Australian chief since 2017, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese introduced, following a concerted stress marketing campaign by Beijing towards the shut US ally. 

– Absent Putin –

Although he’s partaking Xi, Biden has refused because the invasion of Ukraine to deal instantly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’s conspicuously absent from the Bali summit.

The Kremlin cited scheduling points and has as an alternative despatched longtime overseas minister, Sergei Lavrov, who arrived Sunday night and underwent two well being checks at a Bali hospital, in keeping with an Indonesian well being ministry official.

Lavrov, 72, denied stories that he was receiving therapy at a Bali hospital, telling Tass information company that he was in his lodge getting ready for the summit.

Lavrov’s presence has thrown into query a customary G20 group picture and joint assertion, with Russia positive to reject any specific calls to finish its invasion of Ukraine.

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