Ahead of a tense G20 summit, Biden and Xi meet for talks

The two leaders are expected to discuss the same issues as Taiwan, Russia’s entry into Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions at the G20, which begins Tuesday without Russian President Vladimir Putin in attendance.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent the Russian president at the G20 summit – the first since Russia invaded Ukraine in February – after the Kremlin said Putin was too busy to attend.

Ahead of his meeting with Xi, Biden told Asian leaders in Cambodia that ties between the United States and China would remain open to avoid conflict and that tough talks would be firm in the coming days.

The US will “compete vigorously” with Beijing but “make sure the competition doesn’t turn into a confrontation,” said Biden, who stressed the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia. He arrived in Bali on Sunday evening.

Relations between the superpowers have sunk to their lowest level in decades due to rising tensions in recent years over issues ranging from Hong Kong and Taiwan to the South China Sea, coercive trade practices and US restrictions on Chinese technology.

Tensions escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s August trip to the self-governing democratic island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers its territory. The visit infuriated China, which followed with military exercises near Taiwan.

Biden said in September that US military forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most blunt statement on the matter prompting another angry response from Beijing.

Biden and Xi, who have held five phone or video calls since Biden took office in January 2021, last met in person during the Obama administration when Biden was vice president.

The White House said Monday’s meeting was unlikely to lead to a joint statement but would help cement the relationship.

The two leaders will attend the opening ceremony of the G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday.

Lavrov said on Sunday that the West was “militarizing” Southeast Asia in an attempt to contain Russian and Chinese interests, paving the way for further confrontation with Western leaders at the G20.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet Lavrov at the summit, a Downing Street spokesman said in a statement. He is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Biden.

Spanning a wide range of countries from Brazil to India and Germany, the G20 represents more than 80% of the world’s population and 60% of its population.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will address a parallel B20 business forum with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday ahead of the G20 summit. Billionaire Elon Musk is expected to attend a session as well.