Amid increasing tensions, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping to hold virtual meeting on November 15

New Delhi: The White House on Friday (November 12, 2021) confirmed that United States President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will hold a virtual meeting on November 15. 

Amid increasing tensions between the world's two largest economies, both leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and China. 

"Throughout, President Biden will make clear US intentions and priorities and be clear and candid about our concerns with the People’s Republic of China," the White House said in a statement.

The two leaders had last interacted over a phone call on September 9.

This is noteworthy that Washington and Beijing have been sparring on issues from the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic to China's expanding nuclear arsenal. 

The meeting will come after Biden signs a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal in a big ceremony on Monday to celebrate domestic renewal plans he believes will position the United States to out-compete China.

Passing the infrastructure bill was a historic bipartisan accomplishment. Now, we’ve got to get to work implementing it with speed and discipline.

I brought together my Cabinet this afternoon to discuss how we’ll get it done. pic.twitter.com/mg7IAU2xWf — President Biden (@POTUS) November 13, 2021

Biden and Xi had on Friday also outlined competing visions at meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, with the US President stressing his commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific," which Washington says faces increasing Chinese "coercion," while his counterpart warned against a return to Cold War tensions.

Addressing APEC leaders, Xi spoke of the need to "stick to dialogue rather than confrontation, inclusiveness rather than exclusion, and integration rather than decoupling," an apparent reference to the US moves to make key supply chains independent of China.

Today, President Biden participated in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ meeting to discuss ongoing efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, support the global economic recovery, and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/VBJ1e0xBQM — The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 12, 2021

The two superpowers, notably, have also clashed increasingly over self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and that Washington is required to provide with the means to defend itself.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had also angered China this week when he had said that Washington and its allies would take unspecified "action" if China were to use force to alter the Taiwan status quo.

(With agency inputs)