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Jinping and Joe Biden's APEC Encounter Amid the Looming Trump Era

REPORTS - 7 month ago

A Meeting of Giants: Xi Jinping and Joe Biden's APEC Encounter Amid the Looming Trump Era

South Eye | Aden

At the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru, an encounter of significant political gravity took place between Chinese President Xi Jinping and outgoing U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, marking what many analysts are calling a pivotal moment in Sino-American relations. The two-hour discussion captured both cooperation and caution, a subtle dance between leaders whose countries increasingly share global stage dominance yet stand at ideological odds.

With the U.S. election freshly decided, this meeting heralded the nearing arrival of President-elect Donald Trump, whose campaign vows promised a dramatic shift in the American approach to China. Trump’s focus on tariffs, trade imbalances, and what he framed as the "American comeback" underscored a nationalist approach, in stark contrast to Xi's diplomatic stance during his discussions with Biden.

For Xi, the meeting was a critical opportunity to broadcast China’s eagerness for cooperation, despite tense realities. Throughout the dialogue, Xi was a calm strategist, signaling that China would pursue "peaceful collaboration" with the Trump administration, even as uncertainty looms over future U.S.-China trade relations, South China Sea territorial disputes, and cybersecurity concerns. This marked an intriguing moment: China, typically cautious, appeared poised and proactive, with Xi’s message of stability perhaps more directed at global audiences than his American counterparts.

The timing could not have been more delicate. Both leaders are fully aware of how interconnected their economies have become. Despite Trump’s campaign trail attacks on China’s trade policies, the broader truth remains: American and Chinese businesses, supply chains, and consumers are profoundly interdependent. A breakdown, even if ideological, in U.S.-China relations risks far-reaching global repercussions—shifting economic balances, altering alliances, and potentially reshaping the Asia-Pacific order.

The APEC summit provided an illuminating backdrop for the future China envisions—a global power advocating open trade and regional unity, ready to take on the mantle should the U.S. retreat from multilateralism under Trump. For Xi, it was a chance to promote China not merely as an economic force but as a diplomatic leader, uniquely positioned to navigate complex regional and international challenges.

Yet, Xi’s statements to Biden reflect cautious pragmatism. Emphasizing China’s willingness to "cooperate with the new U.S. administration," Xi suggested he would respond flexibly but firmly to whatever policies Trump pursues. It was a message to Washington: China values this relationship, but it also has limits.

From Biden’s perspective, his APEC visit encapsulated the last, carefully worded legacy of the Obama administration’s "Pivot to Asia" policy. Standing alongside Xi, Biden projected continuity amid transition, underscoring the administration’s belief in diplomacy over antagonism.

The broader global impacts of this exchange lingered in the minds of APEC leaders. Xi Jinping’s assertive yet diplomatic posture mirrored China’s rising confidence, with the country primed to present itself as a proponent of free trade, seemingly undeterred by Trump’s anticipated trade restrictions. In Xi’s vision, China’s role in the Asia-Pacific would grow, meeting the needs of partners potentially alienated by Trump’s "America First" focus.

This carefully orchestrated dialogue between Xi and Biden serves as a reminder of the delicate, intricate threads connecting China and the United States. Their futures are deeply enmeshed, despite ideological divides. Xi’s conciliatory gestures and forward-looking rhetoric may well frame the dynamics of U.S.-China relations in the Trump era, setting a tone where calm diplomacy meets assertive national interest—an approach from which both nations, and indeed the world, may seek to benefit.