Page 2 - aruba-today-20221115

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 15 November 2022
Biden, Xi clash on Taiwan but try to ‘manage’ differences

Continued from Front China’s economic practic-
es “harm American workers
Biden said he and Xi also and families, and workers
discussed Russia’s aggres- and families around the
sion against Ukraine and world,” the White House
“reaffirmed our shared said.
belief” that the use or The meeting came just
even the threat of nuclear weeks after the Biden ad-
weapons is “totally unac- ministration blocked ex-
ceptable.” That was a ref- ports of advanced com-
erence to Moscow’s thinly puter chips to China — a
veiled threats to use atomic national security move that
weapons as its nearly nine- bolsters U.S. competition
month invasion of Ukraine against Beijing.
has faltered. Xi’s government said he
Chinese officials have condemned such moves,
largely refrained from pub- saying, “Starting a trade
lic criticism of Russia’s war, war or a technology war,
although Beijing has avoid- building walls and barriers,
ed direct support of the and pushing for decou-
Russians, such as supplying pling and severing supply
arms. chains run counter to the
While there were no wa- principles of market econo-
tershed breakthroughs, the my and undermine interna-
Biden-Xi meeting brought tional trade rules.”
each side long-sought, if Although the two men
modest, gains. In addition have held five phone or
to the shared condem- video calls during Biden’s
nation of Russian nuclear presidency, White House
threats, Biden appeared to officials said those encoun-
secure from Xi the resump- ters were no substitute
tion of lower-level coopera- U.S. President Joe Biden, right, stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting on the for an in-person meeting.
sidelines of the G20 summit meeting, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia.
tion from China on a range Associated Press They said sitting down with
of shared global challeng- Xi was all the more im-
es. Meanwhile, Xi, who has world’s worst climate pol- U.S. He said he wanted a specifically mentioned portant after the Chinese
aimed to establish China as luters, and their one-on- “candid and in-depth ex- U.S. concerns about Chi- leader strengthened his
a geopolitical peer of the one climate contacts are change of views.” na’s actions in Xinjiang, Ti- grip on power with a third
U.S., got symbolic home turf seen as vital to staving off Both men entered the high- bet, and Hong Kong, and term and because lower-
for the meeting as well as some of the most dire sce- ly anticipated meeting with the plight of Americans it level Chinese officials have
Biden’s forceful One China narios of climate change. bolstered political standing considers “wrongfully de- been unable or unwilling to
policy commitment. Biden’s first stop on his long at home. Democrats trium- tained” or subject to exit speak for their leader.
The White House said Biden overseas trip was in Egypt phantly held onto control bans in China. White House officials and
and Xi agreed to “em- for a major climate confer- of the U.S. Senate, with a Taiwan has emerged as their Chinese counterparts
power key senior officials” ence. chance to boost their ranks one of the most conten- spent weeks negotiat-
to work on areas of poten- The two leaders agreed to by one in a runoff election tious issues. Multiple times ing details of the meeting,
tial cooperation, including have U.S. Secretary of State in Georgia next month, in his presidency, Biden has which was held at Xi’s hotel
tackling climate change Antony Blinken travel to Bei- while Xi was awarded a said the U.S. would defend with translators providing
and maintaining global fi- jing to continue discussions. third five-year term in Oc- the island — which China simultaneous interpretation
nancial, health and food Xi and Biden warmly greet- tober by the Communist has eyed for eventual uni- through headsets. Each
stability. Beijing had cut off ed each other with a hand- Party’s national congress, a fication — in case of a leader was flanked by nine
such contacts with the U.S. shake at a luxury resort ho- break with tradition. Beijing-led invasion. But ad- N-95 mask-wearing aides,
in protest of House Speaker tel in Indonesia, where they But relations between the ministration officials have and in the case of Xi, at
Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Tai- are attending the Group of two powers have grown stressed each time that the least one official newly el-
wan in August. 20 summit of large econo- more strained under suc- U.S. China policy has not evated in the recent Con-
China and the U.S. are the mies. cessive American admin- changed. gress to its top leadership.
“As the leaders of our two istrations, with economic, Pelosi’s trip prompted Chi- U.S. officials were eager to
nations, we share respon- trade, human rights and na, officially the People’s see how Xi approached
sibility, in my view, to show security differences at the Republic of China, to retali- the meeting after consoli-
that China and the United fore. ate with military drills and dating his position as the
States can manage our As president, Biden has the firing of ballistic missiles unquestioned leader of the
differences, prevent com- repeatedly taken China into nearby waters. state — whether that made
petition from becoming to task for human rights The White House said Biden him more or less likely to
anything ever near conflict, abuses against the Uyghur “raised U.S. objections to seek out areas of coopera-
and to find ways to work to- people and other ethnic the PRC’s coercive and tion.
gether on urgent global is- minorities, crackdowns increasingly aggressive ac- Biden said Xi was as he’s al-
sues that require our mutual on democracy activists in tions toward Taiwan, which ways been.
cooperation,” Biden said to Hong Kong, coercive trade undermine peace and “I didn’t find him more
open the meeting. practices, military provoca- stability across the Taiwan confrontational or more
Xi called on Biden to “chart tions against self-ruled Tai- Strait and in the broader re- conciliatory,” Biden said.
the right course” and “el- wan and differences over gion, and jeopardize glob- “I found him the way he’s
evate the relationship” Russia and Ukraine. al prosperity.” always been, direct and
between China and the The White House said Biden In the meeting, Biden said straightforward.”q