Sunday, November 14, 2021

Will Tomorrow's Biden - Xi Virtual Summit Lessen Tensions?

This photo combo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and US President Joe Biden. (PHOTO/XINHUA/AP) 

Doyle McManus, L.A. Times: Can Biden and Xi talk their way out of a slide into conflict? 

Inflection points in global politics don’t often announce themselves in advance. But the complex and dangerous relationship between the United States and China may reach such a moment Monday, when President Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, hold a virtual summit meeting.

For almost a decade under three U.S. presidents, the two superpowers have slid into more frequent confrontation as an increasingly assertive China has collided with the United States and its allies. 

The frictions flared during the administration of President Obama after Xi, an ambitious nationalist, rose to power in Beijing. President Trump sharpened the conflict, imposing large tariffs on Chinese goods and accusing Xi’s government of unleashing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When Biden came to office, many in both countries expected tensions to ease — but the new president kept Trump’s tariffs in place and made it clear that he wanted to negotiate new rules to constrain China’s behavior.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: I have zero expectations that tomorrow's virtual summit between Biden and Xi will accomplish a great deal.

It is going to be a scripted affair, a script that both sides have probably already agreed upon, with the real discussions occurring after between their subordinates. 

I know the Chinese have no interest to compromise on their territorial ambitions, Taiwan and the South China Sea being on the top of their list, nor changing their protective trade policies. What does not help is that the Chinese view President Biden as a weak leader, who is deeply unpopular within his own country. 

There is a very real possibility that after tomorrow, President Xi may feel embolden to double down on China's approach towards Taiwan, while putting pressure on other key US strategic interests. Engaging with Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan being on the top of my list.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not only does China view Biden as a weak leader, he and his family are also compromised with the amount of information that they hold on their illegal activities. Xi will tell Biden what to do or else. Biden
DOES care about this because if he is willing to send the FBI out to protect a diary, he'll do whatever it takes to protect his family name from Chinese threats. Xi controls the situation.

Anonymous said...

The Bidenistas have high hopes for this meeting. It is why they call it a summit.

A summit is usually where you have substantive talks or sign a historic agreement.

What the Team ready one Day ! expect to get out of this 'summit' is another installment, a big one, of their dog and pony show whereby hopefully they convince the America public that all is well, Biden is presidential and Team D is where it is at.

Granted Team D engages in such efforts daily, but think of them a daily or weekly episode of an ongoing series. This is one of those made for TV movies that gin up interest in the series.

What do the Chinese want to get out of this. Simply to string those fools in DC along. Kerry is easy to string along. He goes to meetings, outgassed through his mouth at a meeting and he feels important. So he is no fun. He is too easy.

Blinken might be as easy as Kerry. But at least he is a new and shiny rube like Jake Sullivan. So the Chinese might have as much fun with those two as a person tormenting a cat with a laser pointer has doing it for the tenth time.

Anonymous said...

What the Team D (Ready on Day 1) expected ...

Jac said...

Xi must have a very precise idea in his head. Indeed, oddly enough, Xi wasn't interested in a summit with Biden few weeks ago and, all of a sudden, he wants one quickly.
There is nothing good to be expected from it.

Anonymous said...

It might be a movie trope and nothing more. What about the part, where two rivals meet to look each other in the eyes and take the measure of each other?

Why would Obama, Ron Klain and the rest of the gang of ja-jas allow Xi to take Biden's measure?

Biden doesn't make the decision as it is decision making by committee, but Xi and company can measure it as well.

Obama being at Marthas Vinyard far away and Biden being just enough there to gum up the works and slow it down might prove fatal to the US.

Anonymous said...

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