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Biden and Xi Jinping meet ahead of G20, stress need to work together

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NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden met on Monday for long-awaited talks that take place when relations between their countries are at the lowest in decades, marked by disagreements on a range of issues ranging from Taiwan to trade.

The two, in their first in-person conversation since Biden became president, met on the Indonesian island of Bali ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) summit on Tuesday, which is expected to be fraught with tension over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. .

They smiled as they shook hands warmly in front of a row of Chinese and American flags in a lounge at the luxurious Mulia hotel on Bali’s Nusa Dua Bay.

“It’s great to see you,” Biden told Xi, adding in comments he delivered before reporters that he was committed to keeping the lines of communication open on a personal and government level.

“As leaders of our two nations, we share a responsibility, in my opinion, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition… from turning into conflict, and find ways to work together on pressing global issues that require our mutual cooperation.”

He mentioned climate change and food insecurity as problems the world hopes his two countries will address.

Responding to Biden, Xi said the relationship between the two countries is not meeting global expectations.

“So we need to chart the right course for the China-US relationship. We need to find the right direction for the bilateral relationship to advance and elevate the relationship,” Xi said.

“The world expects China and the United States to properly handle the relationship,” he said, adding that he looks forward to working with Biden to bring ties back on track.

None of the leaders wore a mask to avoid Covid, although members of their delegations did.

The main topics of discussion are expected to be Taiwan, Ukraine and North Korea, issues that will also hover over the G20, which is being held without the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Putin at the G20 summit – the first since Russia invaded Ukraine in February – after the Kremlin said Putin was too busy to attend.

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