- Return of Trump looms over US-China ties
- Biden and Xi met for about two hours at APEC talks in Lima
- Cyber crime, trade, Taiwan, North Korea and Russia on the agenda
LIMA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to work with the new U.S. team. He met outgoing President Joe Biden to discuss many issues. These include cyber crime, trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Russia.
Biden and Xi talked for about two hours. They met at a hotel in Lima, Peru, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. This was their first meeting in seven months.
"China's goal of a stable, healthy, and sustainable relationship with the U.S. remains unchanged," Xi said. He acknowledged the ups and downs between the countries. "China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation, and manage differences."
Biden said the talks were frank and candid, even when they didn't agree.
Two months before Trump returns, there are risks of conflict. Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said keeping talks going is crucial.
The president-elect plans to impose blanket 60% tariffs on Chinese goods. Beijing opposes these measures. Trump also plans to hire hawkish voices on China, including U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state.
Biden has tried to lower tensions with China. But, there were no major breakthroughs on the big issues.
However, Biden and Xi agreed on a key point. They said humans, not artificial intelligence, should decide on nuclear weapons use. This is the first time they've discussed it.
The U.S. and Chinese presidents also talked about North Korea. North Korea's ties with Russia and its troops in Ukraine worry many.
"President Biden pointed out that the (People's Republic of China's) publicly stated position with respect to the war in Ukraine is there should be no escalation, no broadening the conflict, and the introduction of (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) troops runs foursquare against that," said Sullivan.
"He also pointed out that the PRC does have influence and capacity, and should use it to try to prevent a further escalation or further expansion of the conflict with the introduction of even more DPRK forces."
MAJOR ISSUES
Other big topics included a recent China-linked hack of U.S. government and campaign officials' phones. Beijing's pressure on Taiwan and in the South China Sea was also discussed. Biden brought up the cases of Americans wrongly detained in China.
On Taiwan, the leaders had a sharp exchange. Biden called for an end to Beijing's "destabilizing" military activity around the island, the White House said.
Xi said Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's push for "Taiwan independence" is bad for peace. Lai plans to visit Hawaii and Guam soon, which will upset Beijing, Reuters reported on Friday.
Taiwan's foreign ministry thanked Biden for his support. They said China is the one causing trouble.
"China's military actions around Taiwan are harming peace and stability," Taiwan said. "They also threaten global economic prosperity," it added.
Taiwan's former Economy Minister Lin Hsin-i met Biden at the summit. He invited Biden to visit Taiwan soon.
China sees Taiwan as its own territory. The U.S. supports Taiwan but doesn't officially recognize it. Taiwan says it's not part of China.
Beijing's economy is suffering from Biden's trade moves. These include limits on U.S. investment in Chinese tech and export restrictions on computer chips. Biden says these steps are for U.S. security and don't hurt most trade.
Xi denied China was behind cyber attacks, Chinese media reported. He also told Biden to stay out of the Spratly Islands dispute.
Beijing doesn't accept a 2016 ruling by The Hague on the South China Sea. This ruling was against China's claims, brought by the Philippines.
"If we treat each other as partners, we can make progress," Xi said to Biden. "But if we see each other as rivals, things will get worse."
The two leaders looked back on their relationship, said Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser.
Shen Dingli, a scholar in Shanghai, said China wants to ease tensions. "China doesn't want relations with the U.S. to worsen before Trump takes office," Shen said.
Pacific Rim leaders are thinking about Trump's return on Jan. 20. The South American summit shows the challenges to U.S. power, with China making friends in the region.
Xi arrived in Lima on Thursday, starting a week-long diplomatic tour in Latin America. He aims to strengthen ties and sign a new free-trade agreement with Peru. He will also open the massive Chancay deep-water port and visit Brazil's capital next week.
China is looking to buy more metal ores, soybeans, and other goods from Latin America. But U.S. officials are concerned about China's military plans in the region. They think China might set up new bases near the U.S. Chinese media has called these claims a smear.
