Restoration of maritime military communication agreement likely
Biden emphasizes the economic coexistence of both countries
Middle East issues and Taiwan are also on the agenda
The meeting location is a historic site in California
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On the 14th (local time), one day before the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Joe Biden stated that the goal of this meeting was to resume regular communication between the two countries, including military dialogue. He also emphasized the need for economic coexistence between the US and China, stating that an improvement in the financial situation of the Chinese people is “beneficial for everyone.” In anticipation of the summit, the two governments have created an atmosphere of relationship improvement by releasing the ‘Sunnyland Declaration,’ which promises to strengthen the joint response to the climate crisis and establish new working groups.
Before departing for San Francisco, President Biden stated at the White House, “We are not trying to decouple (separate supply chains, etc.) with China. We are trying to change the relationship for the better.” As for the goal of this meeting, he said, “When a crisis hits, we can call each other and make it possible for military authorities to contact each other.”
US administration officials have suggested that the restoration of the military communication channel between the two countries, which was severed after the visit to Taiwan by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August last year, could be a tangible achievement of this meeting. Specifically, the restoration of the Maritime Military Communication Agreement signed between the US and China in 1998 is mentioned. This allows the ships and fighter pilots of the two countries to communicate, and the US side has emphasized the need for restoration to prevent accidental collisions in the South Pacific and elsewhere.
President Biden, who had once compared the Chinese economic slump to a ‘time bomb,’ mentioned the beneficial aspects of US-China economic exchanges this day. He said, “From my perspective, if Chinese people who are currently economically struggling, average homeowners, ordinary citizens of China, have jobs that pay decent wages, it benefits them and all of us.” Bloomberg reported, “The scale of trade between the two countries last year reached $760 billion,” and analyzed, “They have no choice but to recognize each other’s needs.” However, President Biden clarified that “we will not continue to support a situation where we have to hand over all trade secrets if we want to invest in China,” emphasizing that China needs to change its regulatory practices.
In addition to these issues, sensitive current issues such as the Middle East situation, the Ukraine war, the North Korean-Russian arms trade, fentanyl exports, and climate change response are expected to be widely discussed at this meeting, according to US officials. John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the White House National Security Council (NSC), said, “I am confident that the Middle East issue will be included in the agenda,” and “President Biden wants to hear President Xi’s opinion on this issue.” Regarding the Taiwan issue, he said, “The US has not changed its one-China principle,” but “we want to continue to see Taiwan’s democracy and prosperity.”
President Xi, who arrived in San Francisco that day, is expected to engage in ‘China sales diplomacy’ by meeting with US business leaders after the summit with President Biden. This is President Xi’s first visit to the US in six years since the Donald Trump administration in 2017. China is also showing expectations for the results of President Xi’s visit to the US. Global Times stated, “It will be a precious opportunity to promote the return of Sino-US relations to the right track.”
The place where the two leaders will meet is not the APEC meeting place but the ‘Filoli Estate,’ a historic private property on the northern coast of California, according to reports from AP and others. This place, a mansion of a California tycoon, has an English Renaissance-style garden, orchard, and walking path. It is known that President Biden and President Xi will stay here for about four hours, walk in the park, have lunch together, and then have a small-scale expanded meeting. The New York Times (NYT) reported, “From the number of steps President Xi takes to reach the chair when he enters the room to the timing of the handshake, every moment the two leaders spend together will be part of a high-level diplomatic activity.”
By. Yoon Hong Woo
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