Xi, Biden meet at G-20 in first face-to-face talks since pandemic

NUSA DUA, Indonesia – Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden expressed the desire for their countries to work together to manage tensions and avoid conflict, as they met in person on Monday for the first time since Mr Biden took office almost two years ago.

Acknowledging that the current state of the bilateral relations was not what the international community had hoped for, the two leaders indicated that they were ready to work towards getting relations back on track and having their countries play key roles in addressing global challenges.

In the closely watched meeting, the two leaders shook hands, and smiled for the cameras before their talks on the Indonesian island of Bali, on the eve of the Group of 20 (G-20) Leaders Summit.

Mr President, its good to see you, Mr Xi told Mr Biden in his opening remarks, as he promised to have a candid and in-depth exchange of views on bilateral issues as well as major regional and global matters.

Relations between the two superpowers have deteriorated, as they clashed over Taiwan, Russias war in Ukraine and North Koreas nuclear ambitions.

The intense rivalry worsened following the visit to Taiwan of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Aug 2, despite Beijings warnings. The visit enraged China, which launched military exercises near Taiwan and cancelled some cooperation projects with the US.

But Mondays meeting showed the two presidents were ready to soothe prickly relations. It was a meeting that, in Mr Xis words, attracted the worlds attention.

So we need to work with all countries to bring more hope to world peace, greater confidence in global stability and stronger impetus to common development, he said.

Mr Biden called for continuing and ongoing open and honest dialogue weve always had, adding that they need to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require their mutual cooperation, which he believes is critical for the sake of the two countries and the international community.

The world expects, I believe, China and the United States to play key roles in addressing global challenges from climate changes to food and security, and for us to be able to work together. The United States stands ready to do just that, work with you, if thats what you desire, said Mr Biden.

In response, Mr Xi noted that diplomatic relations between the two countries harkened back 50 plus eventful years.

Weve gained experience and weve also learnt lessons. History is the best textbook. So we should take history as a mirror and let it guide the future, he added. US President Joe Biden (left) and Chinas President Xi Jinping (right) meet on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Bali on Nov 14, 2022. PHOTO: AFP More On This Topic High stakes for US-China meeting between Xi, Biden Biden says US wont veer into conflict with China, as first summit ends in Asia Mr Xi also acknowledged that the current bilateral ties are something of concern as they are not the fundamental interests of our two countries and peoples, and not what the international community expects of us.

The Chinese leader said he looked forward to working with Mr Biden to bring the relations back to the track of healthy and stable growth to the benefit of the two countries and the world as a whole.

Mr Xi added that as leaders of major countries, they needed to chart the right course for the China-US relationship.

He said: We need to find the right direction for the bilateral relationship going forward and elevate the relationship. More On This Topic Xi-Biden meeting viewed with, at best, cautious optimism Realpolitik in the new era of US-China relations The two leaders had previously spoken over the phone or via video call five times, with the most recent phone call in July.

They are among 17 heads of state and governments that will gather on Tuesday and Wednesday for the G-20 Leaders Summit.

Analysts have said the raging war between Russia and Ukraine which has sparked food and energy crises could dominate summit talks.

Indonesias G-20 presidency has been challenged by the conflict, with some countries initially threatening to boycott the summit should Russian President Vladimir Putin attend.

Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Mr Putin, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to deliver a video address on Tuesday. Additional reporting by Danson Cheong More On This Topic South-east Asias summit season: Will talks lead to action? Stable geopolitical environment needed; Xi-Biden meeting would set the tone: PM Lee