'Look forward to get China-US relations back on track': Xi and Biden's 1st in-person meeting in Bali

"We need to find the right direction for the bilateral relationship going forward and elevate the relationship," said Xi Jinping ahead of the G20 Summit.

Pic Credit: File Photo

NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Bali on Monday (Nov 12) ahead of the G20 summit in Indonesia. This was Biden's first meeting with Xi after being elected as President in 2020. The two nations have had turbulent relations which have portrayed a souring US-China relationship. Xi Jinping who was elected as China's leader for a third, unprecedented term said that he was looking forward to bringing back US-China relations into a healthier state. 

What Xi Jinping said about meeting Joe Biden

Ahead of his meeting with Biden, Jinping was quoted as saying, "Today, we finally have this face-to-face meeting. Currently, the China-US relationship is in such a situation that we all care a lot about it. We need to find the right direction for the bilateral relationship going forward and elevate the relationship."

"In our meeting today, I am ready to have a candid and in-depth exchange of views on issues of strategic importance in the China-US relationship. I look forward to working with you to bring China-US relations back on track with healthy and stable growth," he further said.

Today, we finally have this face-to-face meeting. Currently, the China-US relationship is in such a situation that we all care a lot about it. We need to find the right direction for the bilateral relationship going forward and elevate the relationship: Chinese leader Xi Jinping pic.twitter.com/YOSx08lhVu

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2022

Biden: 'We just got to figure out where the red lines are...'

On the other hand, Joe Biden remarked that the tensions between US-China are not mammoth-like and can be solved with talks. He said, "We just got to figure out where the red lines are and ... What are the most important things to each of us going into the next two years. His circumstance has changed, to state the obvious, at home." 

The White House expressed that the two nations can work together to solve global challenges such as climate change and health security. 

Strained US-China relations

However, relations between the US and China have grown more strained under successive American administrations, as economic, trade, human rights and security differences have come to the fore.

As president, Biden has repeatedly taken China to task for human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other ethnic minorities, crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan, and differences over Russia's prosecution of its war against Ukraine. Chinese officials have largely refrained from public criticism of Russia's war, although Beijing has avoided direct support such as supplying arms.

Taiwan has emerged as one of the most contentious issues between Washington and Beijing.

(With PTI inputs)