U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping held their first face-to-face meeting in a year on Wednesday in a major effort to thaw ties. The two world leaders have vowed to stabilize their troubled relationship by displaying modest dealings, tackling illegal fentanyl and restoring military communications.
Biden-Xi meets for four hours, has lunch and goes for a walk
Biden and Xi spent four hours together at an idyllic mansion in Northern California, with meetings, a working lunch and a garden walk. The aim was to show the world that although they were global economic rivals, they were not locked in a winner-take-all confrontation.
‘We are back to direct, clear, direct communication’
“We are back to direct, open, clear and direct communication,” Biden said. “Vital miscalculations on both sides could cause real, real problems with a country like China or any other major country,” Biden said, calling the talks with Xi “some of the most constructive and productive discussions we’ve had.” .”
But he later reiterated his views on Xi, calling him a “dictator” just hours after the two leaders met for the summit. When asked at the press conference whether the president could still describe Xi as a dictator as he has in the past, Biden said: “Look, he is.”
‘He is a dictator ruling a communist country’
“He is a dictator in the sense that he is someone who runs a communist country,” Biden said, adding that the Chinese government is “completely different from ours.”
He had even previously told Xi: “I think it is very important that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader, without any misunderstanding or miscommunication. “We must ensure that competition does not turn into conflict.”
The important meeting, which takes place on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, comes at an important juncture as the world grapples with economic volatility, conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, tensions in Taiwan and more.
Biden said they reached expected agreements to stop illegal fentanyl production and reopen military ties. Most of the chemicals used to make synthetic fentanyl come from China, where cartels smuggle the powerful narcotic into the United States, which is facing an overdose crisis.
news source (www.thekashmirmonitor.net)
