The vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, and the leader of China, Xi Jinping, met this Saturday (19) to continue the talks between the rival powers, now in a conciliatory tone since the recent meeting between Xi and his colleague American Joe Biden.
Kamala and Xi had a brief meeting during the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum) summit in Bangkok, where Russia, another rival nation of Washington, seemed isolated in the absence of a strong personality to defend the invasion of Ukraine, which “a majority” of the group’s members condemned it in a joint statement.
The first meeting between them followed the dynamic initiated by Biden and Xi, who pledged to reduce tensions between the two superpowers last Monday, in a three-hour meeting in Bali, on the sidelines of the G20 summit, a group made up of the major economies on the planet.
According to a White House official, the vice president reinforced the message Biden emphasized at the Nov. 14 meeting that “we must keep lines of communication open to responsibly manage competition between our countries.”
Chinese state TV CCTV confirmed the meeting late in the morning. According to statements released by the broadcaster, Xi Jinping hopes that the world’s two largest economies “reduce misunderstandings and misjudgments” to promote “the return of healthy and stable relations”.
In Bali and then in Bangkok, Xi, at the height of his power after winning a historic third term, met with several foreign leaders, in a sign perceived as a willingness to present himself as a responsible authority, someone prepared to face challenges. worldwide.
His meeting with Biden, the first face-to-face since the Democratic president came to power, was strategic in guiding relations between Beijing and Washington, which, from Taiwan to the war in Ukraine, are advancing on slippery ground.
Contain North Korea
As a sign of the detente, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China in early 2023, in what would be the first visit by a senior US diplomat to the country since 2018.
Blinken told the press in Bangkok that contacts with Beijing are intended to ensure that competition between countries “does not turn into a conflict” and to find areas of cooperation on global issues, such as climate change.
Xi Jinping, who has not visited the United States since 2017, may travel to the country in 2023 for the next APEC summit, which will take place in San Francisco.
In Bali, Biden asked for Xi’s help to contain North Korea, a country that raises fears in the United States and South Korea after the recent unprecedented series of ballistic missile launches.
China must use its influence over the Kim Jong-un regime, of which it is the main diplomatic and economic ally, to encourage North Korea “not to go in the direction of provocation, which destabilizes the region and the world”, he said. this Friday (18) a US government source.
Kamala had an emergency meeting the day before with the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and New Zealand on the launch of North Korean missiles.
The war in Ukraine is another sticking point between Washington and Beijing, which is neutral on the Russian invasion despite calls for it to publicly condemn Moscow’s actions.
APEC’s final statement recalled the disagreement. “Most members condemned the war in Ukraine and emphasized that it causes immense human suffering and exacerbates existing weaknesses in the global economy,” the statement said.
After Thailand, Harris is expected on Tuesday in the Philippine province of Palawan, close to the border with the South China Sea, which is largely claimed by Beijing. She will be the main US government official to visit the site.
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