What can we expect from the Xi-Biden summit? by Zhu Zhiqun, Political Scientist
In his latest column, Joel Wong discusses the article on the Xi-Biden summit by Zhu Zhiqun, a Political Scientist.
“Our good friend Professor Zhu Zhiqun just published another revelant article about what the world can expect from the Xi-Biden summit during the upcoming APEC event in San Francisco.
The Biden-Xi summit is significant because it is the first time the two leaders will meet in person since November 2022. The meeting comes at a critical time when the US-China relations have been strained by a number of issues, including the Chinese “spy” balloon incident, the war in Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestine crisis, and the ongoing tensions over Taiwan. Recently, Biden has sent a string of high officials (Biden, Yellen, Kerry, Raimondo) in an attempt to rebuild dialogue with their Chinese counterparts. In return, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi visited Washington on October 26-28, 2023 to set the stage for the upcoming summit.
Significance of the summit:
The summit is an opportunity for Biden and Xi to reaffirm their commitment to managing the relationship peacefully, which is important for both countries and for the international community.
The summit provides a platform for the two leaders to discuss their respective concerns and to explore areas of potential cooperation.
The summit could lead to concrete steps to improve communication and coordination between the two world powers.
It is also important to set realistic expectations for the summit. The two sides have different sets of goals and priorities, and they are unlikely to reach any agreements on contentious issues such as America’s Indo-Pacific strategy and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. However, the summit is an opportunity for Biden and Xi to reaffirm their commitment to managing the relationship peacefully and to discuss areas where they can cooperate, such as environmental issues and climate changes.
Challenges that lie ahead in US-China relations
The two sides have different government systems, goals and priorities, as well as different visions of the world order.
Both Biden and Xi face domestic pressures as they try to improve the relationship.
It remains to be seen whether they can compete without crossing each other’s red lines.
Despite these challenges, it is important for the US and China to find ways to cooperate on issues of mutual interests. The two countries are the world’s two largest economies, and they play a key role in addressing global challenges such as climate change and future pandemics.
NO doubt, the recent California Governor Newsom’s China visit will face many criticisms. However, it has set an example of how the two international rivals can work together!”
