Biden meets with Chinese president amid heightened tensions between superpowers

Judy Woodruff:

The first in person meeting today between presidents Biden and Xi Jinping in their capacities as leaders of their government came today as the U.S. and China are increasingly confronting each other over technology, Taiwan and human rights.

As Nick Schifrin reports, the two sides did not agree to step back from their respective positions, but they did commit to managing tensions.

Nick Schifrin:

The U.S. calls China its greatest competitor. But today, in a handshake, President Biden suggested historic tensions could begin to thaw.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: I absolutely believe there need not be a new Cold War.

Nick Schifrin:

Biden, Xi Jinping and their teams met for three hours. Both sides suggested the goal was preventing competition from becoming conflict.

Xi Jinping, Chinese President (through translator):

The current state of China-U.S. relations is what we are both concerned about. But such a state does not conform to the fundamental interests of our two countries and peoples.

Nick Schifrin:

The two sides agreed to restart Cabinet-level communication. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing, likely early next year. And Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will coordinate with his counterpart at the ongoing COP 27 climate summit.

But today did not solve any disagreements, especially over Taiwan, months after Beijing launched unprecedented drills that surrounded: "The island. Today's Chinese readout said Xi Jinping told President Biden the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed. Cross-strait peace and stability and Taiwan independence are as irreconcilable as water and fire."

President Biden today reiterated that the U.S. opposed unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.

President Joe Biden:

Our One China policy has not changed. I do not think there's any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan.

Nick Schifrin:

In its written statement, the White House said President Biden also raised concerns about practices in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, and human rights more broadly.

The U.S. has accused Beijing of genocide, and detaining more than one million ethnic Uyghurs. But Beijing rejected any human rights criticism. "Just as the United States has America-style democracy," its statement said, "China has Chinese-style democracy."

The U.S. is also confronting Beijing over technology. The U.S. recently imposed its strongest ever export controls to try and choke off Beijing's access to advanced chips. And there's also public division over Ukraine. Last night, a senior U.S. official said Beijing was — quote — "embarrassed" by the conduct of Russian military operations.

And today's White House statement said President Biden and President Xi underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. But Beijing's statement said only President Xi pointed out that China is highly concerned about the current situation in Ukraine.

Xi Jinping is China's strongest leader in half-a-century. Some U.S. officials have worried his recent consolidation of control would lead him to become even more confrontational. But, today, President Biden emphasized they could work together.

President Joe Biden:

I found him the way he has always been, direct and straightforward. And do I think he's willing to compromise on various issues? Yes.

Nick Schifrin:

For more on the significance of today's meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi, we get two views.

Bonnie Glaser is the director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund, an organization that promotes U.S.-Europe relations. And Yun Sun is a senior fellow and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, an organization that focuses on international security.

Thank you very much. Welcome, both of you, back to the "NewsHour."

Bonnie Glaser, let me start with you.

Do you expect to see any improvement in the U.S.-China relationship based on these meetings?

Bonnie Glaser, German Marshall Fund:

Well, the opportunity certainly exists.

The door has been opened. For the past year-and-a-half, the Biden administration has consistently pursued an effort to engage China in a conversation about how to manage competition between our two countries. And Beijing has been reluctant to engage, and, at time, it has even sought to extract concessions in return for any progress in the relationship.

And it appears that that situation may have changed, perhaps because Xi Jinping is facing domestic challenges, especially a severe economic slowdown. But it remains to be seen whether any concrete progress can really be achieved.

The Chinese tend to go at these issues from the top down. They want to talk about principles of the relationship. The United States tends to want to talk about confidence-building measures. So there's a bit of a mismatch in the approach, but there might be some shared interest in putting a floor under the relationship and stopping the deterioration.

Nick Schifrin:

Yun Sun, is that is that how you see it, that this is an opportunity for discussions and an open door that hasn't been open for the last year-and-a-half?

Yun Sun, Stimson Center:

I agree with that assessment.

But the problem with that approach is that, well, this is not the first time that they have similar conversations. In fact, they have had five conversations in the past year, almost two years, but none of those conversations really transpired to a reversal or a slowdown to the deterioration of the bilateral relations.

So, this time around, until we see concrete actions and concrete deliverables from Beijing to improve the bilateral relations, I will remain skeptical as for the concrete result of this meeting.

Nick Schifrin:

Bonnie Glaser, do you share that skepticism, given that the U.S. is not promising to change any of its behaviors that irk Beijing, and China does not seem to be willing to change any of its behaviors that the U.S. objects to?

Bonnie Glaser:

I share Yun Sun's skepticism.

And the structural competition in the relationship, I think, is really what is important here. China is the rising power. The United States is threatened by China's and particularly Xi Jinping's aspirations to become a leading power, if not the leading power, in the world.

So it is difficult to be overly optimistic about what can be achieved. But it is a good thing that the leaders are talking. And many countries around the world are looking to the U.S. and China to engage in more serious dialogue and to find ways to cooperate on issues like climate change and global health and macroeconomic policy, because their failure to do so is detrimental to other countries in the world.

Nick Schifrin:

Yun Sun, both sides have actually said that other countries were looking to them to try and emphasize diplomacy over conflict.

How much of that plays a part into at least what seems to be a public mutual desire to avoid confrontation?

Yun Sun:

It seems there are many reasons that U.S. and China wants to avoid this confrontation.

I think, by default, the people — or the two countries and the leaders, they want to avoid a war. They might compete with each other, but a war and the consequences of a war in today's world is rather unthinkable. So for them to try to put a floor and prevent a potential conflict or confrontation militarily is the responsible thing to do.

Nick Schifrin:

And yet, Bonnie Glaser, do you see tensions over Taiwan, the single core issue that the two sides disagree over? Do you see those tensions at all decreasing because of this meeting?

Bonnie Glaser:

It's going to be very, very difficult, I think, to dial down the tensions over Taiwan.

In the aftermath of speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China's military activity has been significantly increased. And President Biden raised strong objections to Xi Jinping about China's coercion and increasingly aggressive actions against Taiwan. The Chinese military has essentially changed the status quo in the Taiwan Strait in its favor and obliterated the centerline of the strait, which it used to, tacitly, at least, recognize.

I'm very doubtful that China is going to be willing to roll back those gains.

Nick Schifrin:

And so, if China, Yun Sun, is not willing to roll back those gains, it seems like the tension over Taiwan will only increase.

Yun Sun:

That is what, I think, I expect and also most of my colleagues in the policy community expect, because there are factors that may not be under their control.

For example, Taiwan is going to have its local election later this month. So these types of development, especially the democratic results in the Taiwanese domestic politics, is going to make the Chinese want to take more actions to coerce Taiwan and force the United States to react.

Nick Schifrin:

There's certainly a difference over the war in Ukraine in both of the statements.

The White House said that Biden and Xi underscored their opposition to the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. But the Chinese statement does not go that far.

So, does — Bonnie Glaser, does that signify a genuine difference?

Bonnie Glaser:

China has clearly said in the past that it opposes the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of use of nuclear weapons.

Most recently, in fact, Xi Jinping said that to German Chancellor Scholz when he visited Beijing. I think that Xi Jinping perhaps had that discussion with Biden, but maybe the Chinese didn't want to include it in the readout, because Xi Jinping does not want to appear to be cozying up to the United States in a way that might harm its relationship with Moscow and particularly Xi Jinping's relationship with Putin.

Nick Schifrin:

And, Yun Sun, if Xi Jinping was willing to say somebody to Chancellor Scholz that he is not willing to say in public to the U.S., what does that say about the U.S.-China relationship going forward?

Yun Sun:

There's, in fact, a pivot of China's foreign policy towards Europe, because they see Europe as the alternative source and alternative access to things that they're no longer able to get from the United States.

Nick Schifrin:

Yun Sun, Bonnie Glaser, thank you very much to you both.

Bonnie Glaser:

Thank you.

Yun Sun:

Thank you, Nick.