United States President Joe Biden has mentioned the possibility of meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled to take place in San Francisco next month. Biden made this statement during a press conference at the White House on Friday, October 6, when asked about the likelihood of such a meeting.
However, Biden stated that there is no scheduled meeting with Xi Jinping in San Francisco, although it could potentially happen.
“There is no such meeting planned, but it could possibly occur,” Biden told reporters after delivering a speech on the U.S. economy on Friday, October 6, at the White House, as reported by Reuters.
Experts have long speculated that the two leaders would meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit, while The Washington Post reported on Thursday, October 5, that plans for a Biden-Xi summit in San Francisco are “fairly strong.”
In fact, speculation has been circulating that preparations have already begun for a meeting between Biden and Xi Jinping.
The two leaders had a face-to-face meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022 on the sidelines of the G20 summit. However, the meeting only reaffirmed their differences on issues such as Taiwan and others.
Both sides have been working to improve their strained relationship amid incidents like the spy balloon incident in June 2023. Efforts to mend relations include high-ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visiting China.
