by Guido Santevecchi
Today the personal conversation between the two presidents before the G20. The unwanted Putin has decided to stay in Moscow
We shouldn’t expect any landmark announcements, we’re “not looking for a reset,” the White House said ahead of the Joe Biden-Xi Jinping summit. But the goal is crucial: It is about stopping the spiral of tension that has rocked US-China relations over the past fifty years.
The Chinese, as usual, pretended to have been asked for the appointment by the Americans, stressing that the request came from Washington. However, it was the communist general secretary who expressed concern about the resumption of dialogue when he sent a message in late October calling for “the strengthening of communication and cooperation between China and the United States.”
Today’s meeting in Bali, which draws all the attention of the Indonesian-organized G20 (the unwanted Vladimir Putin chose to stay in Moscow, perhaps also to avoid embarrassing his Chinese friend), was met with much hostility and prepared for mutual distrust. The crisis, which began as a trade dispute in the days of Donald Trump, has turned ideological and has spread to all sorts of fronts: from technological supremacy to the development of new nuclear weapons, from dealing with the North Korean threat to suspended political liberties in Hong Kong, on the Taiwan question. , up to the elections of the field to the war in Ukraine. There are no international, political, economic, or environmental dossiers on which the United States and China agree. And in August, Beijing also closed its communication channels on climate change and the fight against drug trafficking. The Biden-Xi summit is therefore a turning point in itself because it opens the main channel of dialogue between the two superpowers.
Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, said: “We are in the midst of stiff competition, but the President doesn’t want me to slide into conflict, he’s hoping to identify areas of possible cooperation.”
Today’s meeting marks the first face-to-face meeting with Xi since Biden entered the White House in January 2021. Due to the pandemic and China’s lockdown, there have only been video calls since then between the White House and Zhongnanhai headquarters next to the Forbidden City). The five virtual summits did not go well. Xi has effectively avoided discussing international dossiers, has not offered mediation for the war in Ukraine, and has always signaled that his China has one imperative goal: the reunification of Taiwan, if necessary with arms. Biden, who said he was ready to defend the Democratic island in the event of an attack, replied to Xi that “anyone who plays with fire will die in the flames.” Last week, the Chinese president donned camouflage suits and amphibious boots and placed himself among the generals of Beijing’s high command: “Increase training in preparation for war,” he ordered.
Biden says he wants to set “the red lines” of each other’s strategic interests: “I know him and he knows me, we talk frankly.” In fact, the two opposing leaders met 11 times between 2009 and 2011 when they were vice presidents. Biden says he argued with Xi for at least 78 hours. The last time was in 2011 and the American Democrat said to his advisers: “I think this gentleman will give us a lot to do.”
Therefore, both sides are now looking for possible cooperation points. Biden wants to understand what Xi’s recent statement “against the threat of using nuclear weapons in Europe,” seemingly distancing himself from Putin, is worth. And on North Korea, he tells the Chinese that it is in their interest to contain Kim Jong-un “because otherwise the American military presence in Asia will grow.” China denies the “Cold War mentality” (which it is feeding with its steps), but knows security issues are now balanced with commercial ones. Xi has given the West “too much to do” to rely on “business as usual.”
November 14, 2022 (Change November 14, 2022 | 08:14)
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