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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China says it is discussing Xi-Biden meeting at G20 in Bali after US President signals he expects to talk about ‘red lines’

  • Beijing warns Washington to respect its sovereignty after US leader says he expects to talk about Taiwan and other contentious issues
  • Tensions remain high and analysts said the political atmosphere in the US after the midterm elections was likely to further limit the room for manoeuvre

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The US President signalled he expected to meet his Chinese counterpart at next week’s summit in Bali. Photo: AFP
Stella Chen
China’s foreign ministry said it was in “communication” with the US over a meeting between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden after the US leader signalled that he was expecting to discuss Washington’s “red lines” over Taiwan and other issues with his Chinese counterpart.
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The two sides have not officially confirmed that the meeting will take place, and on Thursday foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said “no information can be provided at this point” about the proposed meeting at next week’s Group of 20 summit in Bali.

“The leaders of China and the US maintain regular contact through various formats. China attaches great importance to the US proposal of an in-person meeting in Bali and the two sides are currently maintaining communication in this regard,” Zhao said.

Responding to Biden’s remark about “red lines” in Taiwan, he told a scheduled press conference that Taiwan is at the core of China’s core interests and the US should stop hollowing out and distorting the one-China principle and respect the sovereignty of other countries.

On Wednesday the US President had said: “What I want to do with him when we talk is lay out what each of our red lines are, understand what he believes to be in the critical national interests of China, what I know to be in the critical interests in the United States, and to determine whether or not they conflict with one another. And if they do, how to resolve and how to work it out.”
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However, he declined to say whether he would tell Xi that the US would defend the island if it was attacked.

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