#China plus hourly news upgrade

“We will will once again have the best roads, bridges, ports and airports over the next decade.”īoth leaders gave nods to their history with the other. “Because of this law, next year will be the first year in 20 years American infrastructure investment will grow faster than China’s,” Biden declared at his signing ceremony. as it seeks to retain a competitive edge over China.

#China plus hourly news upgrade

“China and the United States should respect each other, coexist in peace, and pursue win-win cooperation,” Xi said.ĭespite his domestic problems, White House officials made the case that Biden was coming into the meeting from a position of strength.Įarlier Monday, Biden signed into law a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, legislation to upgrade the nation’s crumbling infrastructure that the Democrat argued is crucial for the U.S. With Beijing set to host the Winter Olympics in February and Xi expected to be approved by Communist Party leaders to serve as party leader next year and then a third term as president in 2023 - unprecedented in recent Chinese history - the Chinese leader may be looking to stabilize the relationship in the near term. “strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the White House said. “One China” policy, which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The White House said Biden reiterated the U.S. “It is the most important and sensitive issue in China-U.S. “The Taiwan issue concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as China’s core interest,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Monday. Chinese military forces held exercises last week near Taiwan in response to a visit by a U.S. Tensions have heightened as the Chinese military has dispatched an increasing number of fighter jets near the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory. Xi told Biden that while it was nice to see him that a virtual meeting wasn’t “as good as a face-to-face meeting.”Ĭhinese officials said in advance that Taiwan would be their top issue for the talks. The White House floated the idea of a virtual meeting as the next best thing to allow for the two leaders to have a candid conversation about a wide range of strains in the relationship. The high-level diplomacy had a touch of pandemic Zoom meeting informality as the two leaders waved to each other once they saw one another on the screen, with Xi telling Biden, “It’s the first time for us to meet virtually, although it’s not as good as a face-to-face meeting.”īiden would have preferred to meet Xi in person, but the Chinese leader has not left his country since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Xi, for his part, was accompanied in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People by communist party director Ding Xuexiang and a number of advisers. president was joined in the Roosevelt Room for the video call by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a handful of aides. “Right now, both China and the United States are at critical stages of development, and humanity lives in a global village, and we face multiple challenges together,” Xi said. Xi, meanwhile, is facing a COVID-19 resurgence, rampant energy shortages, and a looming housing crisis that Biden officials worry could cause tremors in the global market. The White House in a statement said that Biden again raised concerns about China’s human rights practices, and made clear that he sought to “protect American workers and industries from the PRC’s unfair trade and economic practices.” The two also spoke about key regional challenges, including North Korea, Afghanistan and Iran.Īs the U.S.-China tensions have mounted, both leaders also have found themselves under the weight of increased challenges in their own backyards.īiden, who has watched his poll numbers diminish amid concerns about the lingering coronavirus pandemic, inflation and supply chain problems, was looking to find a measure of equilibrium on the most consequential foreign policy matter he faces.

Xi’s deputies, meanwhile, have lashed out against the Biden White House for interfering in what they see as internal Chinese matters. The relationship has had no shortage of tension since Biden strode into the White House in January and quickly criticized Beijing for human rights abuses against Uyghurs in northwest China, suppression of democratic protests in Hong Kong, military aggression against the self-ruled island of Taiwan and more. Biden and DeSantis join together in Ian recovery effort