President Joe Biden is set to meet with China's President Xi Jinping on Monday while the two are in Bali, Indonesia, for the annual summit of leaders from the "Group of 20" industrialized nations. This will be the first time the two have had a face-to-face meeting since Biden took office.
"The Leaders will discuss efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the PRC, responsibly manage competition, and work together where our interests align, especially on transnational challenges that affect the international community. The two Leaders will also discuss a range of regional and global issues," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Thursday.
Biden is set to depart Thursday for a three-country tour to Egypt, Cambodia and Indonesia as he pivots to foreign policy following his party's surprising electoral successes.
The president plans to make a quick stop in Egypt for the annual United Nations global climate summit, followed by a longer visit to Cambodia for a pair of conferences with southeast Asian nations.
Biden often speaks of his long relationship with Xi and as president has spoken with Xi five times -- but never in person.
Both leaders have emphasized the importance of managing their countries' strategic relationship -- amid China's global rise. The Biden administration recently labeled China "the only competitor with both the intent and, increasingly, the capability to reshape the international order."
For its part, China has called on the U.S. to stop trying to contain its rise. It has also taken issue with American tariffs on Chinese imports and on U.S. lawmakers' support for the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of China.
The two leaders could likely discuss the war in Ukraine.
China has toed the line with Russia, aligning itself with Moscow but declining to provide military assistance for its invasion. It has not, however, joined widespread sanctions on Russia.
"What I want to do with him, when we talk," Biden told reporters Wednesday, "is lay out what the – what kind – what each of our red lines are, understand what he believes to be in the critical national interest of China, what I know to be the critical interest of the United States, and determine whether or not they conflict with one another. And if they do, how do we resolve it and how to work it out."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine will take center stage