The Presidents of the United States and China are holding a crucial virtual meeting on Monday (Nov 15) to discuss bilateral issues between the two countries.
White House said the US President Joe Biden will meet virtually with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday as the leaders seek to address points of tensions, competition and potential cooperation between the two nations.
In a statement today, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden and Xi would meet on Monday evening to “discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition” between the countries “as well as ways to work together where our interests align”.
“Throughout, President Biden will make clear US intentions and priorities and be clear and candid about our concerns” with China, Psaki said.
The meeting comes after China and the US – the world’s two largest emitters of carbon dioxide – agreed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow to cooperate on combatting climate change.
The deal announced on Wednesday calls for “enhanced climate action in the 2020s” using the 2015 Paris climate deal’s guidelines and “concrete and pragmatic” regulations in decarbonisation, reducing methane emissions and fighting deforestation.
Tensions between China and the US have soared in recent years, with Washington raising concerns about Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea as well as its stance on Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan.
Amid the friction, the two sides began talks to improve communications and in October, officials announced that Xi and Biden would hold a virtual meeting before the end of the year.
The two leaders on Monday are expected to discuss a range of issues, including COVID-19, climate change, nuclear weapons, and Chinese military technology.
