Biden, Xi hold bilateral meeting in Bali for show

Tuesday, November 15th 2022 - 08:50 UTC

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Nothing seems to have changed since their last phone conversation despite the diplomatic arrangements (Pic AP)

Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Joseph Biden of the United States agreed on the need to avoid an armed conflict during their meeting in Bali, Indonesia, during the G20 Summit. It was the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Biden was elected.

At a time when the relationship between the two superpowers is at historic lows, particularly regarding the Taiwan issue, Biden insisted there was “no substitute” for personal meetings to prevent the conflict from escalating. “The world is at a crossroads” and “expects China and the United States to properly manage their relationship,” he added.

Also causing rifts between the two superpowers are North Korea's military tests and opposite views regarding the war in Ukraine.

Xi, in power since 2012, has been reelected recently by the Chinese Communist Party for an unprecedented third term, breaking with a tradition according to which his predecessors left office after 10 years.

Biden also claimed to feel “stronger” after the mid-term elections in the United States in which his party retained control of the Senate.

In any case, there was not much optimism about the meeting achieving any significant progress. In late July, both leaders held a “frank137-minute telephone conversation in which Xi warned the US president not to ”play with fire“ over Taiwan. Biden ratified that his country's position ”has not changed.”