Biden Proposed a Face-to-Face Meeting to Xi Jinping but Was Rejected

"Xi Jinping Demands US Ease Tough China Policies"
Also Interpreted as Concern Over COVID-19 Infections

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It has been reported by foreign media that U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a summit meeting during a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the proposal was rejected by President Xi, causing the plan to fall through. While there is an interpretation that the possibility of dialogue to resolve the deadlock between the U.S. and China remains open, concerns are also rising that the deepening conflict between the two sides will prolong the dispute. Some also interpret that the in-person meeting was canceled due to concerns and burdens related to the spread of COVID-19.

On the 14th (local time), multiple foreign media outlets including Bloomberg cited several diplomatic sources reporting that during a phone call on the 9th between President Biden and President Xi, Biden proposed an in-person summit, but President Xi did not give a definite answer, resulting in the cancellation. Although President Xi declined the in-person meeting, he reportedly requested the U.S. to adopt a somewhat less hardline tone.

Major foreign media, quoting U.S. government officials, reported that "from this call, U.S. officials concluded that Beijing will continue to maintain a hardline stance toward Washington," but some cautioned against overinterpretation, saying "they did not expect an immediate response from China."

Some officials reportedly emphasized that "the White House believes the reason President Xi did not accept the summit proposal is due to COVID-19," and that the possibility of contact between the two leaders still remains.

In fact, President Xi is known to be extremely refraining from overseas trips recently. It is also reported that President Xi will not attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit scheduled to be held in Tajikistan from the 16th to 17th. This summit, led mainly by China and Russia, was expected to have President Xi’s attendance as it is a meeting to discuss the Afghan issue with neighboring countries following the Taliban’s return to power.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, also stated in a press release on the same day, "Articles based on the content of the call between the two leaders do not accurately describe the details," and explained, "The two leaders also had private conversations during the call, and we will respect that content."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.