US, China continue 'working level discussions' ahead of Biden-Jinping meet: White House

Working-level discussions are underway to confirm details for the planned meeting between United States President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing on Monday.

Jean-Pierre informed that the meeting will be part of the discussions about "responsible management" of competition between the two major economies of the world. The virtual bilateral meeting is scheduled to be held sometime "before the end of the year," the deputy press secretary added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had proposed the said virtual meeting after an hour-long "candid conversation" with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit. During the meeting, Blinken underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to "responsibly manage" competition between the US and the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing over several issues, including China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region. Notably, the meeting will also come at the heels of a fresh row between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan's "meaningful participation" in the United Nations.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden's firm attacks on Chinese actions against human rights in the country have also enlarged the rift between the two countries. Recently, Beijing's "lack of urgency" on climate commitments fuelled the ongoing tussle as the Chinese president's absence from the COP26 climate change summit was widely slammed by Biden and ex-US president Barack Obama.

Jinping makes no new climate commitments at COP26

Hopes of strong actions towards mitigating climate change seemed diminishing with China opting out of the COP26, alongside  Russia. Both the countries - major contributors to industrial carbon emissions - also failed to undertake any new commitments to bolster actions against climate change.

In a written address to the COP26, Jinping asserted that it will continue to prioritise the previously announced nationally determined commitments (NDCs) like ecological conservation and green and low-carbon path. Highlighting the need to uphold multilateral consensus on global challenges, Jinping urged world leaders to "set realistic targets" and deliver appropriate measures but made no new climate commitments.

"It is important to harness innovations in science and technology to transform and upgrade our energy and resources sectors as well as industrial structure and consumption pattern," Jinping said, noting the importance of implementing the green transition.

(Image: AP)