'8-Second Handshake, 3-Hour Conversation' Biden-Xi Jinping Smiles... "Statements Were Different"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina, Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] An 8-second handshake, a 3-hour and 12-minute conversation. The first face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which began with smiles, was seen as a turning point to ease the frozen conflict in bilateral relations. However, a closer look at the joint statements released immediately afterward reveals a clear difference in tone. Both the U.S. and China emphasized their firm positions on key issues without leaving room for the other's claims.

◇Major Differences over Taiwan... No Mention of ‘North Korea’ in China’s Statement

Summarizing the statements from both sides immediately after the summit on the 14th (local time), the two leaders showed potential for cooperation within the basic framework of competition but expressed significant differences by presenting only their own positions on detailed key issues such as the economy, Taiwan, North Korea, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Regarding the Taiwan issue, President Biden emphasized that the ‘One China’ policy remains unchanged and opposed any unilateral changes by force. In contrast, President Xi stressed that "the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests" and "the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations." He firmly stated that Taiwan independence is absolutely unacceptable, saying "cross-strait peace and stability and ‘Taiwan independence’ are like water and fire, irreconcilable."

The Taiwan issue is the direct cause of the recent sharp escalation in U.S.-China tensions and was the agenda with the greatest difference in positions between the two leaders on that day. After the meeting, President Biden conveyed a positive nuance to reporters, saying, "I do not think China has an imminent attempt to invade Taiwan" and "there is no new Cold War," but Chinese local media continued to voice a hardline stance, insisting that the U.S. must change its attitude.

The North Korea issue showed differing levels of attention from the two countries. President Biden confirmed during the press conference that he urged President Xi to prevent North Korea’s nuclear provocations. However, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement did not include any mention of North Korea or its nuclear program. Only Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister, was quoted in a briefing emphasizing the need to "balance each other’s interests, especially addressing North Korea’s reasonable concerns." This can be interpreted as a critique that the U.S. should change its approach toward North Korea first.

The economic issue also showed a clear difference in tone. President Biden raised ongoing concerns that China’s non-market economic practices harm the U.S. and the global community. In response, President Xi criticized the U.S. for "starting trade wars and technology wars, building walls, and promoting decoupling and supply chain disruptions," saying these actions violate market economy principles and international trade rules. He also pointedly urged, "Do not politicize and weaponize economic and trade relations."

Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House stated, "The two leaders agreed that nuclear war must never happen and that no one can win it. They opposed the use or threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine," but this differs somewhat from China’s stated position. President Xi made no mention of opposing nuclear use but only said, "We support and look forward to the resumption of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

◇Predicted Parallel Lines, Future Outlook Also Gloomy

This summit had been anticipated as a potential opportunity to ease the deepened U.S.-China tensions following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Agreeing to discuss international issues where interests are not sharply conflicting is a modest achievement. The two leaders agreed to continue dialogue on issues such as climate change, debt relief including macroeconomic stability, health security, and international food security. They also agreed to continue efforts to address specific issues and to advance existing cooperation mechanisms. To this end, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit China in the near future.

Jessica Chen Weiss, a China expert at Cornell University, analyzed, "In a few months, this summit can be seen as the first signal of a turning point that slowed the pace of U.S.-China conflict. It is encouraging that the two sides empowered high-level officials to establish basic principles for bilateral relations and agreed to efforts addressing specific issues."

However, pessimistic views dominate the future outlook. It is widely expected that a new Cold War structure is inevitable at any time. Chen Dongxiao, director of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, pointed out, "The two sides have completely different ideas about setting guardrails." The Hudson Institute argued that even on some issues agreed upon that day, "China should not take the agreement seriously."

Chinese local media also cited the proverb "the one who started the problem must solve it," blaming the U.S. by saying, "Normalization of bilateral relations depends on the U.S. adopting the right attitude."

Some media emphasized that the summit was held at China’s delegation accommodation at the U.S.’s request, interpreting this as an indication of negotiation advantage. However, Chinese media also viewed the likelihood of the U.S. changing its stance positively as low.

Jin Chanlong, deputy dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Communist Party’s official newspaper Global Times, "The U.S. will continue to provoke China regarding the Taiwan issue," and "After the midterm elections, the Republicans are likely to control the House, and the new Republican Speaker is very likely to follow Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit." The Global Times quoted an anonymous expert emphasizing, "Chinese leaders must warn again where the red line is and what will happen if the U.S. crosses this red line."

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