San Francisco – US President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California next week, a significant encounter amidst the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
According to Philippines News Agency, the meeting is set for November 15 in San Francisco. The discussion will focus on various aspects of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, the importance of open communication lines, and several regional and global issues.
President Xi’s visit to the U.S., scheduled for November 14-17, coincides with the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This high-profile meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies occurs at a critical time as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza, despite international calls for a ceasefire. The U.S. and its allies have supported humanitarian pauses in Gaza, which is experiencing some of the deadliest bombings in recent times. Meanwhile, Beijing has been advocating for an end to the armed conflict and calling for a ceasefire. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with official figures stating that at least 11,078 Palestinians, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women, have been killed. The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,600.
The White House Spokeswoman emphasized that Presidents Biden and Xi would discuss ways to responsibly manage competition and collaborate on transnational challenges affecting the international community. This meeting will be their first face-to-face interaction since their summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November. China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stated that the two leaders would have in-depth discussions on strategic, overarching, and fundamental issues shaping China-U.S. relations and major global peace and development issues. Xi is also expected to present China’s proposals for deepening Asia-Pacific cooperation at the APEC Economic Leaders’ meeting.
In addition to meeting President Biden, President Xi is also expected to meet with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, with plans being made for a meeting around November 16. This comes as Tokyo seeks to resume high-level contacts with Beijing amidst years of strained bilateral relations. Takeo Akiba, Japan’s top national security advisor, recently met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing to discuss the potential meeting.