Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet his US counterpart Joe Biden at the summit of the Group of 20 industrialised nations (G20) on the tropical island of Bali in Indonesia next week, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday, confirming their first highly-anticipated in-person talks, weeks after Xi sealed a historic third term as the country’s leader.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Bali, Indonesia, from November 14 to 17, at the invitation of President Joko Widodo of the Republic of Indonesia,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday.
The White House announced the meeting on Thursday, saying Biden and Xi, at the meeting on Monday, will “discuss efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication”, as well as how to “responsibly manage competition and work together where our interests align”.
Xi and Biden have spoken on phone a number of times since the latter took office in two years ago, but the Covid-19 pandemic and Xi’s decision not to travel abroad until last September have prevented a face-to-face meeting so far.
Xi will also visit Thailand from November 17 to 19, at the invitation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, where he will attend the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok, Hua added.
Among other world leaders, Xi is going to “hold bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez” in the coming days.
In late October, Xi said China is willing to work with the US to find the “right way to get along with each other in the new era”.
“China stands ready to work with the US to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, which will benefit not only the two countries but also the whole world,” Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese state media in a message to an event held by the National Committee on US-China Relations (NCUSCR) on October 27.
Beijing and Washington have been sparring over multiple issues, including Taiwan and China’s support to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the G20 summit and hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts on the margins, India’s external affairs ministry had announced on Thursday.
There’s no official confirmation whether Modi and Xi will meet on the summit’s sidelines.
