Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed his commitment to working with incoming President Donald Trump during his final meeting with current U.S. President Joe Biden.
The two leaders, Xi Jinping met Joe Biden on Saturday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, where they acknowledged the “ups and downs” in U.S.-China relations during Biden’s tenure.
However, both emphasized progress in reducing tensions on key issues such as trade and Taiwan.
Experts suggest that U.S.-China relations could become more volatile when Trump takes office again in two months, particularly due to his plans to raise tariffs on Chinese imports.
The president-elect has pledged to impose 60% tariffs on all imports from China and has appointed several prominent China hawks to key foreign and defense positions.
During his first term, Trump described China as a “strategic competitor,” and relations soured further when he referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” during the pandemic.
At a meeting in Lima on Saturday, held at his hotel, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated that Beijing’s goal of maintaining a stable relationship with the U.S. remains unchanged.
“China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation, and manage differences,” Xi said.
President Biden emphasized that while there is strategic competition between the two global powers, it should not escalate into conflict.
“Our two countries cannot let this competition turn into conflict. That is our responsibility, and over the last four years, I think we’ve demonstrated that it’s possible to manage this relationship,” he said.
Biden’s time in office saw several flare-ups in U.S.-China relations, including the spy balloon incident and Chinese military drills around Taiwan, sparked by the visit of a senior U.S. official. China has repeatedly stated that its claim to Taiwan is a red line.
Despite these tensions, the Biden administration worked to “responsibly manage” its rivalry with Beijing after Trump’s first term.
Analysts suggest that Beijing’s main concern about the incoming president-elect is his unpredictability.
“The Chinese are open to negotiations and likely hope for early engagement with the Trump team to discuss potential deals,” said Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund. “At the same time, they are prepared to retaliate if Trump moves forward with higher tariffs on China.”
Glaser also noted that China may be “concerned about lacking reliable back channels to influence Trump’s policy.”
On Saturday, Biden acknowledged that while there had always been disagreements with Xi Jinping, their discussions had been “frank” and “candid.” The two leaders held three in-person meetings during Biden’s presidency, including a significant summit in San Francisco last year, where both sides reached agreements on issues like narcotics and climate change.
However, Biden’s administration continued some of Trump’s trade policies, imposing new tariffs in May targeting China’s electric cars, solar panels, and steel products. Biden also bolstered defense alliances across Asia and the Pacific to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the region. The outgoing president has also reaffirmed that the U.S. would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
