Expectations are high for the next meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Indeed, the two leaders meet for the first time since the G20 summit in Bali last year. This meeting, which will take place in San Francisco as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, offers a unique opportunity to discuss economic and political relations between the two world powers.
The Biden administration, keen to show leadership against China, has strengthened sanctions against Beijing in recent months, seen as an obstacle to US supremacy on the world stage. However, both countries are calling for greater stability in their relations. This meeting will therefore be an opportunity to address a wide range of disagreements, particularly on the subject of Taiwan, where the next elections could lead to new tensions.
It is also important to note that this meeting is taking place in a particular international context. The United States is seeking to reconnect with China while seeking to isolate Apec member Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be present, but will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk.
On the economic front, free trade agreements are no longer at the heart of the United States’ concerns, Donald Trump having withdrawn the country from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) proposed by Barack Obama. Instead, the Biden administration last year established the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which aims to facilitate trade between several countries in the region.
In short, the meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping at Apec raises great expectations. The two leaders will have to address delicate subjects and find solutions for greater stability in their economic and political relations. This meeting is of great importance in a complex international context where rivalries between the great powers are increasingly pronounced.