Politics

China, US in close contact for virtual summit between their presidents

Beijing, Nov 12 (EFE).- China confirmed Friday it is in close contact with the United States to finalize the details of an imminent virtual meeting between their respective presidents, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference that they were holding talks to organize a virtual meeting between the two presidents.

The US broadcaster CNN, citing unnamed officials, reported Thursday that the meeting could take place next week on Monday.

Wang said Friday that Beijing hoped that Washington would work with them to make the meeting successful a successful one and help bring bilateral relations between them back on track.

Once confirmed, this would be the first formal meeting between the two leaders since Biden assumed office in January this year, and would be their first interaction since the telephone conversation in September.

In October, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi met in Switzerland to ease tensions between the two powers – with frictions in trade, technology, human rights and security – after the failed summit in Alaska in March.

Sullivan raised concerns about human rights in China’s Xinjiang and Hong Kong, as well as the situation in the South China Sea and the recent Chinese air incursions near Taiwan.

According to the authorities in Taipei, these incursions have caused relations between China and the island to reach its worst in recent decades.

Beijing, on its part, wants Washington to adopt “rational and pragmatic policies” and not use “sovereignty and security issues” to “interfere” in China’s internal affairs. EFE

jco/sc

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