Biden "Expecting Meeting with China’s Xi Jinping Within Ten Days"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Attention is focused on whether changes will occur in US-China relations as US President Joe Biden expressed his expectation to soon hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to Bloomberg on the 20th (local time), President Biden stated at a press conference held during his visit to Massachusetts, "I expect to have a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping within the next 10 days." If a summit between the two leaders takes place, it is expected to be the first meeting in over four months since their phone call in March.

The possibility of a meeting between President Biden and President Xi has been raised since July 10, after US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting held in Bali, Indonesia. Voice of America (VOA) cited sources familiar with the matter reporting that "China proposed holding a video summit between the two leaders around July 25."

Additionally, if President Xi attends the G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits held in Southeast Asia in November, it is expected that a face-to-face meeting could take place there.

In particular, the Biden administration is reportedly reviewing whether to withdraw some of the tariffs on China that have been in place since the previous Donald Trump administration, amid worsening inflation in the US and globally. Bloomberg reported that if the summit is realized, trade issues between the two countries are expected to be a major topic of discussion.