Joe Biden set to meet China's Xi Jinping in Peru before Donald Trump takes office

Joe Biden meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday for the final time as U.S. president, but the leaders' goal of reducing tensions before Donald Trump's inauguration is challenged by new conflicts over cybercrime , trade, Taiwan and Russia.

Biden and Xi will gather on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima, Peru – for their first talks in seven months – where leaders of the Pacific Rim countries are weighing the implications of Trump's return to power as president American on January 20 next year. . They were scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. (local time), the White House said.

Washington is angered by a recent China-linked hack of the telephone communications of US government and presidential campaign officials, and is concerned about Beijing's growing pressure on Taiwan and Chinese support for Russia.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te plans to stop in the U.S. state of Hawaii and possibly Guam for a sensitive visit that is sure to anger Beijing in the coming weeks, Reuters reported on Friday . Meanwhile, Biden met with Taiwan's representative at the summit, former Economic Minister Lin Hsin-i, who invited him to visit Taiwan in the near future.

China considers democratically governed Taiwan its own territory. The United States is Taiwan's largest international donor and arms supplier, despite lacking formal diplomatic recognition.

At the same time, Beijing's economy is being hit hard by Biden's trade measures, including a plan to restrict U.S. investment in Chinese artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors and restrictions on exporting high-end computer chips. All of these topics should be at the heart of the discussions, US officials said.

China regularly denies US hacking allegations, views Taiwan as an internal issue and has protested US statements on Sino-Russian trade. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington declined to comment.

GENERAL PRICES

Trump has pledged to adopt across-the-board tariffs of 60% on U.S. imports of Chinese goods as part of an “America First” package of trade measures. Beijing opposes these measures. The Republican president-elect also plans to hire several hawkish voices on China for senior positions, including U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviser.

On Wednesday, Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, described the transition as “a moment where competitors and adversaries can see possible opportunity.” Biden will emphasize with Xi the “need to maintain stability, clarity and predictability throughout this transition between the United States and China.”

Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations specialist, said China wants the meeting to ease tensions during the transition period. “China absolutely does not want relations with the United States to be disrupted before Trump officially takes office,” Shen said.

The summit in South America offers new signs of the challenges to American power at home, where China is waging a charm offensive.

Xi, who arrived in Lima on Thursday, plans a week-long diplomatic blitz in Latin America that will include a revamped free trade deal with Peru, inaugurating the massive deep-water port of Chancay and being welcomed in the Brazilian capital next week for state office. visit.

China is seeking metal ores, soybeans and other products from Latin America, but U.S. officials fear they are also seeking new military and intelligence outposts adjacent to the United States. China's state-backed media called the accusations defamation.

A U.S. official said Washington's engagement in the region was strong and Chinese overseas infrastructure investment had declined in recent years due to domestic challenges and project issues.

But Ryan Berg, director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, said Xi would receive a good reception in the region.

“Biden’s trip will very clearly be overshadowed by whatever Xi Jinping does during his APEC visit,” he said.

“When Xi meets with Biden, part of his audience is not about it – it's not just about the White House or the US government. It's about US CEOs and continued US investment or attempt to renew U.S. investment in China and get rid of the perception that there is a hostile business environment in China,” he said.