Joe Biden and Xi Jinping have met

 

 

Raise the issue during the leaders' first meeting

 

Of: 

 

Fanny Westling 

 

Published: Yesterday 14.35 

 

Updated: Yesterday 18.37 

 

NEWS 

 

Today, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met for the first time as leaders. 

 

The tone between the countries is worse than in half a century, according to CNN.

 

At the meeting, which lasted for 3.5 hours, the leaders agreed, among other things, that "a nuclear war should never be fought". 

 

"Nice to meet you." 

 

Those were the words Xi Jinping said – with the help of a translator – to President Joe Biden as they shook hands. A long, firm handshake. 

 

The leaders met today for the first time face to face since Joe Biden was sworn in as president in January 2021. The meeting is taking place in Bali, where the G20 meeting will later take place, and in the background looms the tense issue of Taiwan's autonomy. 

 

The goal is to find ways to communicate with each other, but to achieve progress on the big issues there are reasonably high hopes around. The relationship between the two countries is described as having sunk to absolute rock bottom since half a century ago.

 

"The only thing worse than having tense conversations is not talking at all," one official told The Guardian.

 

Photo: Alex Brandon/AP 

         

          Xi Jinping and Joe Biden before the meeting. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP 

 

Tense situation around Taiwan 

 

Taiwan, the island east of China with a self-governing democracy, but which China claims belongs to them. They are not afraid to resort to military power, and believe that the island cannot exist as a sovereign nation. 

 

Joe Biden, on the other hand, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the island's self-government. 

 

In August, China drew widespread criticism for military exercises held off the coast of Taiwan in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island. Joe Biden has said that US forces would defend Taiwan if Chinese forces attack. 

 

The two leaders first met more than a decade ago, when they were both vice presidents. 

 

According to sources to the New york times, Joe Biden will not make any "fundamental concessions" regarding US support for Taiwan. 

 

Biden: "Nuclear weapons are out of the question" 

 

The Guardian wrote before the meeting that the goal of the meeting was to restore the relationship between Washington and Beijing. 

 

Or as CNN writes: to prevent the two countries from going to war with each other. A rather modest ambition for two of the world's largest economies and militaries. But according to the channel, that is actually what is at stake. 

 

At a press conference after the meeting, Joe Biden said that the leaders had an "open and honest conversation", that they are competitors and will compete with each other - but that he is not looking for a conflict. 

 

He insisted that the US stance on China has not changed - and that both countries are committed to seeing peace in Taiwan pass. 

 

Instead, he thinks that the countries should cooperate where they can. 

 

- We discussed, among other things, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and that nuclear weapons are out of the question, he said. 

 

A journalist asked the question whether there is a risk of a new cold war, considering, among other things, the situation in Taiwan. Joe Biden didn't seem worried about that.

 

- I am convinced that he understood what I said, and that I understood him. The United States is best equipped of all countries in the world - economically and politically - to deal with the changing circumstances of the world.