The upcoming meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping is widely seen as a potential flashpoint in the strained relationship between the two countries. While the countries have been at odds over a range of issues, ranging from trade to human rights, the two leaders have expressed a desire for diplomacy in order to move forward and improve the relationship.
The June 17-19 meeting between Biden and Xi will be held in Alaska, and will be the first face-to-face meeting between both leaders since Biden was sworn into office. The meeting, which will be broadcast and streamed live, has the potential to have a massive effect on the overall relationship between the United States and China.
While both sides have stated that they are going into the meeting in good faith and hoping for a successful dialogue, there is still a great degree of mistrust between officials from both countries. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian has accused the United States of “interfering in China’s internal affairs and undermining China’s interests,” while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that he expects the Chinese leaders to explain the serious allegations of human rights abuses from the Chinese government.
In order to bridge the gap between the two sides, the Biden administration has proposed a five-point agenda, which includes discussion on the issues facing the bilateral relationship between the United States and China, trade ties, human rights, climate change and public health. In addition, both sides are expected to address the “increased competition and strategic rivalry” in the Indo-Pacific region.
It is likely that the meeting will produce a few changes in the relationship between the two countries, though some experts have predicted that it could end up leading to more galvanized relationships between the US and its allies in Asia. While there is no guarantee that the meeting will be successful, it is certainly one of the most important diplomatic engagements in recent years.
Many of the issues on the agenda will be beyond the scope of what either leader can change, but it will certainly be a forum for intense diplomacy amid the current tension between the two countries. The success of the bilateral summit in Alaska will depend largely on the ability of the leaders to move past some of the most difficult issues and set a new course for future relations.