As the first of three summits of world leaders this week drew to a conclusion, US President Joe Biden assured Asian counterparts that the US and China would maintain open lines of communication to avoid war.
East Asia Summit
In his speech to the East Asia Summit on Sunday in Cambodia, Biden stated that although the US will challenge China and criticize its human rights record, he also emphasized the value of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and preserving freedom of passage in the South China Sea.
Biden Condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
According to the White House, Biden also denounced Russia’s “brutal and unlawful” invasion of Ukraine, as well as the risks posed by North Korea’s missile launches, and he urged Myanmar’s military authorities to adhere to a peace plan they had agreed to with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
(G20) Summit in Bali
The Group of 20 (G20) Summit will also take place in Bali, Indonesia, from November 15 to 16. With ties between the two giants at an all-time low, Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping there for the first time since assuming office.
Xi and Biden face-to-face meeting
US officials are hoping the face-to-face meeting will enable progress on issues of mutual concern and, more importantly, a shared understanding of each other’s limitations. US officials have previously expressed frustration that lower-level Chinese officials have been unable or unwilling to speak for Xi.
Biden’s historical Remarks to Xi
Regarding Xi, Biden remarked, “I know him well, and he knows me. We just need to determine the red lines and what matters most to each of us over the course of the next two years.
Biden has regularly chastised China for human rights violations against “Uighurs” and other ethnic minorities, crackdowns on Hong Kong democracy campaigners, coercive economic tactics, military provocations towards self-ruled Taiwan, and disagreements over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Taiwan Conflict
Beijing seeks to unite Taiwan with the mainland, and the Xi administration has criticized the Biden administration’s approach as endangering China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
As Beijing strives to surpass the US as the world’s largest economy, the Chinese president has also hinted that Washington intends to limit Beijing’s expanding influence.
Ukraine Crisis
Discussion on the crisis in Ukraine, food security, tensions over the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, and North Korean missile tests are expected to take center stage in Bali and at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok, Thailand, at the end of the week.