Biden’s Final Dance with Beijing: High-Stakes Summit in Peru Amid Power Shift
President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping this Saturday in Lima, Peru, marking their final face-to-face encounter of Biden’s presidency at a pivotal moment for global diplomacy.
The meeting, taking place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, comes at a critical juncture as Biden prepares to hand over power to President-elect Donald Trump.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as both leaders navigate this delicate transition period. Just one year after their productive San Francisco meeting, they find themselves in markedly different circumstances.
Biden enters the talks with diminishing influence as a departing leader, while Xi must already be calculating his approach to Trump’s promised aggressive stance toward China.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasizes the importance of this moment: “Presidential transitions are uniquely consequential moments in geopolitics.” The Biden team aims to stress “stability, clarity, and predictability” in US-China relations during this changeover period.
Key issues on the table include:
- China continues to support Russia’s defense industry.
- China has recently launched cyberattacks on US telecommunications networks.
- The activities of the controversial “Salt Typhoon” hacking group are under scrutiny.
- Technology restrictions and electric vehicle bans
- Trade relations and tariffs
A senior Biden official, speaking anonymously, revealed that the president plans to warn Xi about cyberattacks on critical US networks, arguing that such actions will only push America further away from Chinese technology.
The timing of the meeting holds particular significance as Trump’s incoming administration has already made its intentions clear. The president-elect has chosen known China hawks for key positions:
- Marco Rubio as Secretary of State
- Mike Waltz, national security adviser
Trump’s team has already announced plans to double down on the trade war with China, proposing steep tariffs on all Chinese imports. This aggressive stance marks a sharp departure from Biden’s more measured approach of “intense diplomacy.”
For China, this meeting represents a chance to evaluate the past year’s progress in stabilizing relations with the US. The 2023 Xi-Biden meeting led to improved diplomatic engagement and reopened communication channels. However, the upcoming Trump presidency threatens to upend this progress.
The timing couldn’t be more crucial for China, as it grapples with internal challenges including:
- A slowing economy
- Currency devaluation (down 10% this year)
- Mounting government debt exceeds $22 trillion.
- Corporate debt totals around $50 trillion.
Jake Sullivan highlighted cybersecurity as a particular concern following recent attacks: “It’s something that the FBI, our Department of Homeland Security, and our entire national security enterprise are digging into in a big way.”
As Biden and Xi prepare for their final meeting, both leaders must confront the fact that Trump’s promised disruption of US-China relations could soon overshadow any progress they’ve made.
One senior US official offered this stark advice for the future: regardless of approach, the next administration will need to find ways to manage this crucial relationship.
The Lima meeting stands as both a culmination of Biden’s diplomatic efforts with China and a prelude to what could be a dramatic shift in US-China relations under Trump’s second term. As the world watches, the question remains: Can the foundation of stability built during Biden’s tenure withstand the approaching storm?