On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, held a meeting in the American city of San Francisco, their first in a year, in which they discussed the tense relations between the two sides, as they are marred by many thorny issues, in addition to discussing issues... International, such as Taiwan, Iran, and the war on Gaza.

Biden stressed during the beginning of the meeting that his meetings with his Chinese counterpart “were always frank, direct and useful,” while Xi said that he looked forward to holding “in-depth” talks with Biden.

Xi "dictator"

However, Biden did not hesitate to describe his Chinese counterpart as a “dictator,” as he said in a press conference held alone after a 4-hour meeting that he had not changed his view that President Xi is “in reality a dictator,” a statement that is likely to resonate in... Beijing, after a direct summit between the two leaders following months of preparations.

At the end of the press conference, Biden was asked whether he still sees Xi as a dictator, which he had said last June. Biden responded, “Look, he is. He is a dictator in the sense that he is a man who runs a communist state based on a completely different form of government.” About our system.

There was no immediate reaction from the Chinese delegation, which came to the United States to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.

When similar statements were made by Biden in June, China described them as ridiculous and provocative, but the dispute did not prevent the two sides from holding expanded talks aimed at strengthening the tense relations.

Taiwan is the most dangerous issue

During the discussions, which came after months of preparations and tension, the Chinese President focused on the issue of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory, and told his American counterpart that Taiwan is “the largest and most dangerous issue in US-Chinese relations,” according to what a senior American official told reporters.

The official quoted Xi as saying that China prefers a peaceful reunification with the island of Taiwan, which it claims belongs to it, but it continues to talk about the circumstances in which force could be used.

At the same time, the US official reported that Biden asked China to use its influence with Iran and urge it to avoid steps that could be considered “provocative” in the Middle East.

The official added that Chinese officials are engaged in discussions with Iran regarding risks in the region.

Competition, not conflict

In turn, Biden summarized the bet from his meeting with Xi with one phrase, “Ensuring that the competition does not turn into a conflict,” while Xi warned of the “unbearable” repercussions of any confrontation between the two superpowers, according to “France 24.”

Through a handshake between them at the entrance to a headquarters located in rural California, the two presidents resumed a dialogue process between them that had stopped more than a year ago.

The two leaders have not spoken directly since a long meeting they held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, and this period included growing tension between the two countries.

The US President sat at a long wooden table opposite his Chinese counterpart, surrounded by his delegation, and in a brief statement he called for managing the competition in a “responsible” manner.

For his part, Xi considered it the duty of China and the United States “not to turn their backs on each other,” and said that “the planet is large enough for our countries to flourish,” in light of intense competition between Washington and Beijing on the economic, technological, strategic, and military levels.

While Biden called for "joint efforts" to combat drug trafficking and deal wisely with artificial intelligence.

Both men were keen to recall that their relationship began before the 80-year-old Democratic president arrived at the White House, while Biden affirmed: “Our meetings were always frank, direct, and useful,” adding: “It is vital that we understand each other clearly,” and Xi responded. "I strongly believe in a promising future for the bilateral relationship."

Source: Arabic Post