U.S. President Joe Biden has assured that he will not make «fundamental concessions» in talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jiping, at next week’s G-20 summit.
«I am not willing to make any fundamental concessions» in the talks, the US president said, before remarking that he is «seeking competition, not conflict».
«What I want to do with him (the Chinese president) when we talk is lay out what each other’s red lines are, understand what he believes are China’s critical national interests, what I know are America’s critical interests, and determine whether or not they conflict. And if they do, how to resolve it and how to resolve it,» Biden told reporters at a White House press briefing.
The president also indicated that he expects to discuss with Xi issues such as Taiwan, as well as «a number of other issues, including fair trade and relations with other countries in the region.
The meeting between Biden and Xi in Indonesia will mark the first face-to-face meeting since the U.S. leader took office following his victory in the 2020 election. It also comes against the backdrop of weakening relations between Washington and Beijing, especially since the latest tensions in the Asian region following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
U.S. officials have sought to downplay expectations and stressed that the conversation was necessary to ensure that the relationship does not veer into conflict, Bloomberg reports.
