Washington:
President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are organizing to meet by video hyperlink “before the end of the year,” a senior US official stated Wednesday.
There is an “agreement in principle” for the “virtual bilateral,” the official told reporters on situation of anonymity.
“The president said how nice it would be to see Xi which he has not done for some years,” the official stated. “We would expect them to have the ability to see one another, even if only virtually.”
The official cited news reports that Xi will not attend the upcoming G20 gathering of leaders in Rome, which would have been a organic spot for Biden to arrange a bilateral.
The virtual meeting was announced immediately after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Zurich with China’s prime diplomat, Yang Jiechi. The senior official stated these talks lasted six hours.
Sullivan’s trip continues an uptick in make contact with involving Beijing and Washington, as Biden argues for establishing “guardrails” for the expanding contest involving the two powers.
Tension is increasing more than China’s aggressive posture toward Taiwan, the US selection to sell nuclear submarines to Australia, trade disputes and human rights violations against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
On Monday, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai stated she would quickly be speaking to her Chinese counterpart, as a huge trade dispute rumbles on with no finish in sight.
After the Zurich meeting, Sullivan is due to take a look at Brussels and Paris, exactly where he will also “debrief his meeting with Director Yang to our European allies and partners,” the White House stated.
Biden, who has recognized Xi for years, has held two phone calls with the Chinese leader considering the fact that becoming president. The second, lasting 90 minutes, took spot last month.
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