President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping began their first person-to-person meeting Monday (14/11/2022) since the US president took office nearly two years ago. The talks are to take place amid increasing economic and security tensions between the two superpowers as they compete for global influence.
Xi and Biden greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Bali, Indonesia where they are attending The Group of 20 Summit of Large Economies. As they began their conversation, Biden said he and Xi have a "responsibility" to show that their nations can "manage their differences" and identify areas of mutual cooperation. Xi added that he hoped the pair would "elevate the relationship" and that he was prepared to have a "candid and in-depth exchange of views" with Biden.
Both men entered the highly anticipated meeting with bolstered political standing at home. Democrats triumphantly held onto control of the US senate with a chance to boost their ranks by one in a runoff election in Georgia next month. Meanwhile, Xi was awarded a third five-year term in October by the communist party’s national congress a break with tradition.
