'I look forward to bringing China-US relations back on track': Xi to Biden at G20 Summit

The bilateral talks between two of the world’s biggest economies began on Monday, November 14, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping sat down with their envoy to discuss their deteriorating relationship. According to ANI, during the bilateral talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that he is “looking forward to bringing China-US relations back on track.” 

Expressing his willingness to have a “candid exchange” Xi said, “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.”

“I am committed to keeping lines of communication open": Biden to Xi Jinping 

The bilateral talk which started on Monday was the first time both leaders met face-to-face since 2017 when Biden was Vice President under the Obama administration.

According to ANI, the Chinese President’s envoy included the Director of the Chinese Communist Party, Ding Xuexiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Biden was accompanied by the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and the US ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Nicholas Burns.

During the opening remark, both sides claim that they are keen on keeping the “communication channels open”. Speaking with the help of a translator, Xi 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.”

Reciprocating Xi’s initiative, Biden in his opening remarks said, “I am committed to keeping lines of communication open between you and me, but our governments across the board because our two countries have so much that we have the opportunity to deal with.”

The China-US relations have been deteriorating for a very long time. The US and South Korea’s recent decision to organise joint military drills near Senkaku islands which China claims it's own has made the matter worse. The two sides have been at loggerheads over trade and Human Rights issues, and China’s assertiveness over Taiwan has been a matter of contention between the two sides as well.

The last meeting of a US President with Xi was when Donald Trump was the US President in 2019. Hence it will be interesting to see the future outcomes of this bilateral talk between the two. In a recent statement released on Monday, the White House claimed that the two leaders have spoken candidly across a range of issues. The statement also asserted that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will also visit China to follow up on their discussion.