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“The two leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage competition between the United States and the United States. [People’s Republic of China], as well as ways to work together where our interests align, “White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement on Friday.
“Throughout, President Biden will make clear the intentions and priorities of the United States and be clear and frank about our concerns about the PRC,” Psaki added.
Biden and Xi have spoken on the phone twice this year, most recently a 90-minute conversation on September 9. White House officials said earlier that the two leaders will hold a virtual summit before the end of the year. POLITICO first reported earlier this week that the meeting was tentatively scheduled for Monday.
The two leaders telegraphed their intention to set a positive tone for the summit via congratulatory letters the two leaders sent this week to the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations to mark its 55th anniversary.
Xi’s letter – read by Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang at a gala dinner in black attire – stated that “China is ready to work with the United States to strengthen trade. and cooperation at all levels ”. The intent of the letter’s message was underlined by his extensive report in Chinese state media Wednesday.
Biden’s letter, read by committee chairman Jacob Lew at the gala, underscored the “global importance” of the US-China relationship in meeting the challenges “from combating the Covid-19 pandemic to combating the existential threat of the climate crisis “.
However, a senior administration official framed the meeting in terms of great power competition and the need for the world’s two largest economies to clearly understand each other’s intentions.
“As President Biden has made it clear, he welcomes the fierce competition, but does not want conflict,” the official said. “So this meeting is a way for him to make sure there is no misunderstanding about this.”
At the same time, the manager lowered expectations for any major announcements after the two leaders’ interview. This cautious approach reflects the high stakes that US-China relations represent for the entire world.
“It is not about looking for specific deliverables or results. It is about defining the conditions for effective competition where we are able to defend our values and interests and those of our allies and partners. that when such conditions – or safeguards – are established, we can compete vigorously, ”the official said.
The confirmation of the summit date follows days of refusal by the White House to provide details on the agenda or its schedule for that matter. “before the end of the year. “White House officials this week sought to lower public expectations of the summit’s outcome.
The summit comes as U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He reviewed China’s implementation of a phase one deal negotiated under the Trump administration. The pact includes a Chinese pledge to try to buy an additional $ 200 billion in US goods in 2020 and 2021, compared to its purchases in 2017. Beijing has also agreed to address a number of US political concerns in areas such as agriculture and intellectual property protection. .
Tai told reporters on Wednesday that the United States was “gaining momentum” in talks with China over the issues of implementing the first phase and expressed hope that they could be completed soon. As the two-year buying period quickly comes to an end, Beijing still very short meet the $ 200 billion target.
The summit will be virtual because Xi declines invitations to attend all events outside of China. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan described it as “The next best thing“to Biden’s preference for an in-person meeting.
Both sides want summit to defuse tensions that Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng warned in July had produced a bilateral “dead end”.
Untreatable positions – Xi’s focus on “sovereignty” and Biden’s on the “rules-based international order”- means neither side will move beyond reiterating standard talking points on Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
Biden and Xi’s top priority is to avoid the open hostility that marred Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s meetings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Anchorage in March as well as subsequent confabs with Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in July and Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry in September. The two leaders must also avoid perceptions of weakness, an area in which Biden is disadvantaged by partisan bickering over his domestic policy agenda.
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