- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

China Pressing US to Schedule Xi-Biden Summit, Reports Say

© REUTERS / Damir SagoljChinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 5, 2018.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 5, 2018. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - China has been pressing President Joe Biden's administration to explore holding a summit between the two nations’ leaders in an attempt to reset the troubled relationship, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

In December, soon after Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Biden on his election victory, Beijing raised the idea of dispatching Politburo member Yang Jiechi to Washington, the report said, citing people with knowledge of the initiative. The proposal, the report added, was conveyed through letters by the Chinese ambassador to the United States and other intermediaries.

Beijing was planning to bring a message to Biden related to issues other than trade, which was a priority under the Trump administration, according to the report. Since Biden was emphasizing climate change and the pandemic, Yang plans to also focus on those issues, and also work to arrange a summit between Biden and Xi, the report said.

Former President Donald Trump had launched a major trade war with China and accused it of currency rigging and theft of US intellectual property. Trump also accused China of deliberately spreading the COVID-19 to the world, calling it the "Chinese virus", to the consternation of Beijing, which responded by saying the former president had politicized the pandemic ahead of the US election in November.

US President-elect Joe Biden listens as he holds a videoconference meeting with members of the US Conference of Mayors at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on 23 November 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - Sputnik International
Why Joe Biden Won't Tighten the Screws on China Despite His Assertive Rhetoric

The Trump administration has placed protective tariffs on Chinese goods over the last four years, vowed to deepen ties with Taiwan, and questioned the Chinese Communist Party in the aftermath of the Hong Kong protests.

However, Biden himself, his cabinet nominees and other administration officials have said the US will crack down on China for alleged unfair trade practices and human rights abuses.

On Tuesday, Anthony Blinken, Biden's national security adviser, said Trump was "right in taking a tougher approach to China" despite disagreeing with how the former president handled the issue.
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала