US president Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will meet in person for the first time as leaders before the G20 summit in Bali next week, in a high-stakes encounter that comes amid rising tensions between the two powers.
The White House said the leaders would meet on Monday in Indonesia, which is hosting the G20 from Tuesday. It will be their sixth conversation since Biden entered the Oval Office, but their first face-to-face meeting since the then US vice-president met Xi at Davos in January 2017.
“The leaders will discuss efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the PRC [People’s Republic of China], responsibly manage competition, and work together where our interests align, especially on transnational challenges that affect the international community,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary. She added that they would also discuss regional and global issues.