Biden and China’s Xi to meet on November 14 in Bali: White House

Published
16
US President Joe Biden speaks virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the White House in Washington, US November 15, 2021. — Reuters
US President Joe Biden speaks virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the White House in Washington, US November 15, 2021. — Reuters

US President Joe Biden hopes to build a “floor” for relations with China when meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week, but he will be honest about US concerns, including over Taiwan and human rights, a senior administration official said on Thursday.

The White House said Biden will hold talks with Xi on November 14 on the sidelines of a Group of 20 nations summit in Indonesia, their first face-to-face meeting since Biden became president.

The meeting comes amid deeply strained Sino-US ties, particularly after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s August trip to Taiwan, the self-governed democratic island which Beijing claims as its territory.

The senior administration official said there would be no joint statement from the meeting, which was not being driven by expectations for specific agreements.

“The president believes it is critical to build a floor for the relationship and ensure that there are rules of the road that bound our competition,” the official told reporters in a call on the meeting.

“I expect the president will be honest about a number of our concerns, including PRC (People’s Republic of China) activity that threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, as well as our long-standing concerns about human rights violations,” the official said.

There also was an expectation that Russia’s war in Ukraine and North Korea would be discussed, the official said.

Opinion

Editorial

Fixing bond markets
Updated 01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, retail investors, and eventually, foreign investors must become bigger participants in the market.
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...