Xi says he will work with Trump in last meeting with Biden
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed his commitment to collaborating with incoming President Donald Trump during their final meeting with current US President Joe Biden.
The two leaders met on Saturday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru, where they acknowledged the “ups and downs” in US-China relations during Biden’s four years in office. However, both leaders emphasized progress in easing tensions on issues like trade and Taiwan.
Analysts predict that US-China relations could become more unstable once Trump resumes office in two months, partly due to his promise to increase tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump has pledged to impose 60% tariffs on all goods from China and has appointed well-known China hawks to key foreign and defense positions.
During his first term, Trump described China as a “strategic competitor,” and tensions worsened when he referred to Covid as the “Chinese virus” during the pandemic.
In their meeting in Lima, Xi reiterated that China’s goal of a stable relationship with the US remains unchanged. “China is ready to work with the new US administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation, and manage differences,” he said.
Biden, for his part, emphasized that the strategic competition between the two countries should not escalate into war. “Our two countries cannot let any of this competition veer into conflict. That is our responsibility, and over the last four years, I think we’ve proven it is possible to have this relationship,” he remarked.
Biden’s term has seen tensions flare between the two nations, including the spy balloon incident and Chinese military maneuvers near Taiwan in response to a visit by a senior US official.
China says its claim to the self-ruling island is a red line.
However, the Biden administration aimed to “responsibly manage” rivalry with Beijing after Trump’s first term.
Beijing is likely to be most concerned about the president-elect’s unpredictability, analysts say.
“The Chinese are ready to negotiate and deal, and probably hope for early engagement with the Trump team to discuss potential transactions,” said Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific Program.
“At the same time, however, they are ready to retaliate if Trump insists on imposing higher tariffs on China.”
She added that China may also be “likely worried that that they lack reliable back channels to influence Trump’s policy”.
Biden on Saturday acknowledged there had always been disagreements with Xi but added that discussions between him and the Chinese leader had been “frank” and “candid”.
The pair held three face-to-face meetings during Biden’s time in the White House, including a key summit last year in San Francisco where both sides came to agreements on combatting narcotics and climate change.
But Biden’s White House also continued Trump-era tariffs. His government imposed duties in May targeting China’s electric cars, solar panels and steels.
He also strengthened defence alliances across Asia and the Pacific to counter China’s increasing assertiveness in the region. The outgoing president has also said the US would defend Taiwan if it were invaded by China.
