Biden confirms meeting with Chinese Premier at G20

President Biden said he discussed "stabilizing" relations with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India.

"I met with the Chinese Prime Minister in India and talked about stability and the situation in the developing world in the Southern Hemisphere," US President Joe Biden said during a press conference in Hanoi on September 10. "There was no confrontation in the meeting."

US President Biden and Chinese Premier Li Qiang earlier attended the G20 summit in New Delhi, India. This is the highest-level meeting between the two countries' leaders since Mr. Biden and President Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia late last year.

US President Joe Biden at a press conference in Hanoi, September 10. Photo: AFP — US President Joe Biden at a press conference in Hanoi, September 10. Photo: *AFP*

Mr. Li, who took office in March, replaced Mr. Xi as head of the Chinese delegation to the G20 summit in New Delhi. China did not give a reason for Mr. Xi's absence.

This is the first time Mr. Biden has revealed his meeting with Mr. Li on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Previously, the White House said the US President met with "a Chinese leader" at the event, but did not provide further details.

President Biden has expressed disappointment that Xi did not attend the G20. He has said he will seek to meet with the Chinese president, but has not specified a time or place.

The US president said high-level talks with Chinese officials had been going on for months. "My team is still meeting with President Xi's aides and Chinese cabinet officials," Biden said.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 11. Photo: AFP — Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 11. Photo: *AFP*

Tensions between the US and China have escalated over a range of issues including Taiwan, trade and other disagreements. However, US and Chinese officials have recently taken steps to cool things down.

The meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden in Indonesia in November 2022 was considered an effort to improve relations between the two countries after a period of tension.

However, efforts to break the ice between the two countries were hampered when the US shot down a Chinese balloon in early February. The US accused it of being a spy balloon, while China insisted the vehicle was a stray meteorological observation device.

Several senior US officials have visited China in recent months, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and special presidential envoy for the environment John Kerry. This move is seen as a move to restart efforts to improve relations between the two countries.

Duc Trung (According to Reuters )

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