In their first in-person meeting in a year, US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met for about four hours on Wednesday.
The two presidents met at the Filoli Estate in northern California to make progress toward mending strained relations caused by a wide range of issues, including trade, Taiwan, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the pandemic.
After the discussion, during lunch of ravioli, chicken, and broccolini, and after a walk through the estate’s well-kept grounds, Biden spoke of “real progress.”
An “in-depth and candid exchange of views” was reported by China’s official media.
Below are five takeaways from the talks:
- Military and personal communication
The two leaders decided to restore military ties, which China had cut off during Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s travel to Taiwan in August 2022. This was likely the most significant conclusion of the negotiations.
Beijing has “denied, canceled or ignored” military-to-military exchanges and talks with the Pentagon, which increased “the risk of an operational incident or miscalculation spiraling into crisis or conflict,” according to the Pentagon’s most current report on China’s military might.
A senior US official told reporters that the Biden-Xi agreement allows US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to communicate with his Chinese counterpart once the position is filled. Similar exchanges might also occur at other levels of the military chain of command.
The Pentagon praised the action and stated it was essential to averting unintentional hostilities.
A Pentagon official states, “Keeping lines of communication open between our two militaries is essential to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict.”
The US president also emphasized how crucial it is for the two presidents to communicate openly.
“After the meeting, he and I decided that we can answer the phone directly, and we’ll be heard right away,” Biden told reporters.
Biden and Xi have maintained a close working connection with their mutual tenure as vice presidents.
“It was 12 years ago,” Xi said in brief public remarks. “I still vividly remember our interactions, which always gives me many thoughts.”
Biden also emphasized how valuable their interactions have been throughout their friendship.
“We haven’t always agreed, which was not a surprise to anyone, but our meetings have always been candid, straightforward and useful,” Biden said.
- Taiwan – China
China’s official broadcaster reported that one of Xi’s main topics of conversation was the island of Taiwan.
Beijing has not ruled out using force to seize control of the island and claims the self-governing democracy as its own.
Conversely, the US maintains official diplomatic ties with Beijing but maintains a “strategic ambiguity” policy on Taiwan, which is the primary supplier of armaments to the island.
According to a US official, Biden chastised China for its significant military build-up around the island and stated that the US was committed to continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense during the “clear-headed” and “not heated” discussions.
As for Xi, he maintained that the island belonged to China. “The US side should … stop arming Taiwan and support China’s peaceful reunification,” Xi told Biden, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. “China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable.”
China has responded violently to the US and other Western politicians’ visits and foreign engagements by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and her deputy William Lai. Taiwan is one of China’s so-called “red lines” in negotiations.
In the talks on Wednesday, Biden asked China to respect Taiwan’s political process, as Lai is presently the front-runner in the polls scheduled for January.
- Economic challenges
State media reported Xi’s other top priority was the domestic and international economy.
Xi pointed out that a lot had happened since the two men’s last meeting in Bali as they started their conversation.
“The world has emerged from the COVID pandemic but is still under its tremendous impacts. The global economy is recovering, but its momentum remains sluggish,” he said.
Describing the US-China relationship as “the most important bilateral relationship in the world,” Xi said he and Biden “shoulder heavy responsibilities” and could not turn their backs on each other.
Growing debt and an aging population are significant obstacles to China’s economic recovery; sanctions and US export restrictions on sensitive technologies have also had an impact.
“Stifling China’s technological progress is nothing but a move to contain China’s high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development,” a readout from the Chinese side quoted Xi as saying. “China’s development and growth, driven by its inherent logic, will not be stopped by external forces.”
Additionally, the two leaders discussed advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).
The senior US official stated that while neither side was prepared for a mutual declaration, both were “very much focused” on AI techniques that could be hazardous or destabilizing.
- Fentanyl
The manufacture of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is the primary cause of drug overdoses in the US, has been targeted with tremendous success.
Xi committed to pursuing particular chemical businesses and assisting in stopping the export of chemicals used in the illegal fentanyl synthesis process.
Following his discussion, Biden told reporters, “It’s going to save lives, and I appreciated President Xi’s commitment to this issue.”
Biden went on to say that he would “trust but verify” Chinese drug-related measures.
- Middle East
As the UN Security Council adopted a resolution advocating for prolonged humanitarian “pauses” in the beleaguered enclave, Xi and Biden discussed the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Since October 7, when the armed group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of over 200 others, more than 11,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the territory.
According to the US official, Biden encouraged China to speak out against Iran, which supports Hamas and urged it to refrain from taking any actions that can be interpreted as aggressive due to worries about the possibility of a regional escalation.
