Meeting ahead of G20 summit: Xi and Biden condemn nuclear threat

There was agreement on at least one topic at their first meeting: US President Biden and China’s head of state Xi jointly condemned Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, according to US information.

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have jointly condemned Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The statement after the meeting on the island of Bali stated that the two presidents had reaffirmed their opposition “to the use of or the threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine”.

Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, representatives of Moscow had more or less openly considered the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. According to Chinese statements, Xi was “extremely concerned about the current situation in Ukraine”. China supports a resumption of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. The US, NATO and the EU should also conduct a comprehensive dialogue with Russia.

Biden holds China accountable

Both sides agreed that “a nuclear war should never be waged,” as the White House announced after a three-hour meeting of the presidents. Such a war can never be won.

Another topic was the missile and nuclear program of North Korea, which is largely isolated internationally and has an important ally in China. Biden said at the press conference that he was “confident” that China did not want North Korea to further escalate the conflict. After a series of North Korean missile tests, fears are growing that North Korea is conducting a new nuclear test.

Biden: Meeting openly and clearly

As expected, the hottest topic at the Biden-Xi meeting was Taiwan. China sees the democratic island state as a breakaway territory that it wants to reunite with the mainland – if necessary with military force. The US recently increased its support for Taiwan, while China stepped up its threats of military action.

According to the White House, Biden denounced China’s “increasingly aggressive” actions against Taiwan. This undermines “peace and stability” in the region and beyond and also threatens “global prosperity”. Biden emphasized that the US was against “any unilateral change in the status quo” on the Taiwan issue. However, even after the meeting, he said, “I don’t think there will be any attempt by the Chinese side to invade Taiwan.” He described the meeting with Xi as “frank and clear”.

Xi: US must not cross red line

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Xi told the US President that the world is “big enough” for the two rival countries. Currently, “China and the United States have more, not less, common interests.”

According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi warned Biden not to cross “red lines” in the Taiwan conflict. The Taiwan question is of central interest to China and an “internal matter”. China’s leader urged the US to stay out of the conflict.

Tomorrow is the G20 meeting

The encounter in the city of Nusa Dua in Bali was the first face-to-face meeting between Xi and the US President since Biden took office almost two years ago. The two are staying on the Indonesian holiday island for this year’s G20 summit of the most important industrialized and emerging countries, which begins on Tuesday. Actually, Russian President Vladimir Putin was also expected there. However, the Kremlin chief is represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.