During their meeting in Bali, ahead of the G20 meeting, the presidents of US and China said they want to “find the right direction” for their countries’ relationship, and to “manage our differences”.
US President Joe Biden said they should “prevent competition from becoming anything ever to near conflict”.
Statesmen should “know how to get along with other countries and the wider world,” said China’s President Xi Jinping.
The G20, or Group of Twenty, is a club of countries which meets to discuss plans for the global economy. Between them, G20 countries account for 85% of the world’s economic output and 75% of world trade. They contain two-thirds of the global population.
Xi warned Biden against crossing a “red line” on Taiwan, according to Chinese state media
Emerging afterward, Biden told reporters he was “open and candid” with Xi about the range of matters where Beijing and Washington disagree. He cast doubt on an imminent invasion of self-governing Taiwan, and seemed hopeful his message about avoiding all-out conflict was received.
Still, the US president was frank that he and Xi came nowhere near resolving the litany of issues that have helped drive the US-China relationship to its lowest point in decades.
“I’m not suggesting this is kumbaya,” Biden said at a news conference, “but I do not believe there’s a need for concern, as one of you raised a legitimate question, a new Cold War.”
“President Biden and President Xi reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought and can never be won,” a White House readout said, referring to the threat of nuclear weapons use. /Compiled from newswires by argumentum.al
