[U.S. officials said the virtual
summit on Monday was intended to reassure both sides that misunderstandings
would not lead to unintended clashes.]
Since becoming president, Mr. Biden
has spoken twice with Mr. Xi, but they have not met in person this year.
Administration officials said the virtual meeting was meant to reassure both
sides that misunderstandings and miscommunications would not lead to unintended
clashes.
A senior U.S. official told
reporters on Sunday that the president would emphasize the need to keep
“communication lines open” as the two countries confront disagreements over
issues like the future of Taiwan,
the militarization of the South China Sea and cybersecurity.
Mr. Biden has repeatedly suggested
that it should be possible to avoid active military engagement with China, even
as the United States engages in vigorous competition with Beijing and continues
to confront the Chinese leadership on several significant issues.
But the call, which was initiated
at Mr. Biden’s request, reflects his administration’s deep concern that the
chances of keeping conflict at bay may be diminishing.
Members of Mr. Biden’s team have
been guarded about what topics he intends to raise with Mr. Xi on Monday. The
senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to
preview the meeting, broadly outlined a few of the issues that were likely to
come up.
The official said Mr. Biden planned
to address several points of disagreement, including China’s
human rights abuses, America’s
commitment to defending Taiwan, China’s support of its state-based
industries and its policies regarding cybertechnologies.
Also on the agenda are areas in
which Chinese and American interests appear to be aligned, including efforts
to combat global warming. But the administration official said that Mr.
Biden would make clear to Mr. Xi that working to prevent climate change was not
a “favor” to the United States, but rather a decision by China to act in its
own best interests.
It was unclear whether Mr. Xi
intended to raise other issues, such as U.S.
tariffs on Chinese goods or the recent U.S.
deal to provide nuclear submarines to Australia. The senior official said
that Mr. Biden was not planning to raise those topics unless Mr. Xi mentioned
them.
The official declined to say
whether the two leaders would discuss the possibility of U.S. representation at
the 2022
Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing in February.
Biden administration officials have
said they believe the U.S.-China relationship is in a new phase that is more
dynamic and complex than it has been in years past. But it remains unclear how
Mr. Biden will try to accomplish his goals when previous administrations tried
and failed to make good on similar agendas.
President Barack Obama tried a
similar balancing act with the Chinese, securing a commitment from Mr. Xi to
avoid militarizing the South China Sea — a threat to international travel
through the area — and to reduce cyberconflicts between the two countries.
Since then, China has built up its
military presence in the South China Sea, and cyberclashes have intensified.
