US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are reportedly planning their first in-person meeting amid the escalating tensions between the two countries.
The meeting is reportedly the first since President Biden took office in Southeast Asia in November.
In addition, the planned trip will also be Xi’s first foreign trip in three years.
In a report released by the Wall Street Journal on Friday, the meeting will take place as tension between Washington and Beijing mounts following the recent increased Chinese aggression toward Taiwan.
Just last month, the Chinese forces launched a series of extensive military drills near the Taiwan Strait after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi travelled to Taipei following a meeting with the Taiwanese officials and other U.S. lawmakers, despite the Pentagon’s warning and China’s threats.
The house speaker also fueled the fire after she posted her op-ed through the Washington Post, targeting China for its actions against Taiwan.
“Today, America must remember that vow. We must stand by Taiwan, which is an island of resilience. In recent years, Beijing has dramatically intensified tensions with Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has ramped up patrols of bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft near and even over Taiwan’s air defense zone, leading the U.S. Defense Department to conclude that China’s army is ‘likely preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force.’” Pelosi wrote.
“The PRC has also taken the fight into cyberspace, launching scores of attacks on Taiwan government agencies each day. At the same time, Beijing is squeezing Taiwan economically, pressuring global corporations to cut ties with the island, intimidating countries that cooperate with Taiwan, and clamping down on tourism from the PRC,” Pelosi added.
“In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom.” The speaker continued.
Moreover, amid the tension between China and the US, the Geopolitical relations between the two superpowers have been strained for years.
Not only that, after the COVID-19 hit the US and later became a pandemic, and the human rights abuses, pressure from the West was placed on Beijing to address the controversies.
Reports revealed that the leaders would meet at the Group of 20 in Indonesia in mid-November.
In a statement released by National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell, he stated, “I can confirm that the two leaders, when they spoke last discussed a possible face to face meeting during their recent call and agreed to have their teams follow up to sort out the specifics.” However, he did not confirm any details on the supposed meet up.
“We don’t have anything further in terms of details on time or location,” he added.
