Biden presses China’s Xi over trade after making major flub at Peru summit

US President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Lima, Peru.  Reuters President Joe Biden pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping over the Republic of China's unfair trade policies in a closed-door meeting on Saturday, after President-elect Donald Trump made ending China's trade practices a central part of his campaign pledges. In a statement, the White House stressed that the outgoing President Biden (81) will take the necessary steps to prevent federal authorities from using advanced technologies that undermine the national security of the United States or its allies. Biden met with Xi  for the third and final time during his presidency at the Chinese leader's hotel near the end of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South America

This will be the third and last time the two leaders have met behind closed doors during Biden's term. 6 This will be the third and last time the two leaders have met behind closed doors during Biden's term. Reuters The private conversation came after Biden made a major blunder in his public comments to Xi by calling the relationship an "alliance," which he quickly corrected. "We are the most important alliance, or the most important relationship, in the entire world, and how we get along can have an impact on the rest of the world," Biden said, according to multiple media outlets.——Therefore, our two countries must not allow a competition to turn into a conflict. That's our responsibility, and over the last four years, I think we've proven that we can have a relationship.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru.REUTERSAccording to media reports, Xi Jinping appeared to express concern that the Republican president-elect could drive a wedge between China and the United States when he returns to the White House. Xi Jinping said that China is willing to cooperate with the new US administration to maintain communication, enhance cooperation, manage differences and promote the smooth exchange of Sino-US relations to  benefit both nations. Trump, 78, has threatened to reopen the tariff-related trade war with China that he launched during his first term to market a new economic deal that would benefit American businesses. Now, he is calling for worldwide tariffs of 10 to 20 percent on all goods imported into the United States from all countries, and another 60 percent tariff  on all goods imported from China. 

Behind closed doors, the leaders discussed a range of contentious issues including the economy, cybersecurity, fentanyl production, Taiwan, and Ukraine.POOL/AFP via Getty Images Trump also has called for a global reparations conference on COVID-19 in which the Chinese government could be given a bill into the trillions for its role in the origins of the pandemic that killed more than 1 million Americans.

Trump last year also floated forcing China to pay $50 trillion in “reparations” for the virus, which parts of the US government, including the FBI, believe originated with a leak at a lab in Wuhan.

Xi appeared to signal concern that the Republican president-elect could create division between China’s relationship with the US. 

AFP via Getty Images

Behind closed doors, Biden and Xi discussed a range of contentious issues including the economy, cybersecurity, Taiwan, and Ukraine, for which Biden condemned North Korea for deploying thousands of military troops to Russia, according to the White House.

The two leaders also agreed to assess the risks of artificial intelligence, maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons, preserve an open line of communication, and decrease China’s fentanyl production.

Biden condemned North Korea for deploying thousands of military troops to Russia, according to the White House.AFP via Getty Images

An estimated 223,000 Americans died from the mostly China-sourced drug in Biden’s first three years in office and Republicans blasted him for not doing more earlier to halt the flow.

Biden and Xi started their day at the 21-nation summit in Lima, Peru, where dignitaries donned brown scarves, as part of the summit’s ritual in which world leaders wear traditional garments of the host country, for a photo op.

Biden and Xi started their day at the 21-nation summit in Peru, where dignitaries donned brown scarves, as part of the summit’s ritual in which world leaders wear traditional garments of the host country for a photo op.REUTERS

Biden was relegated to the back corner of the conference’s annual family photo as Xi enjoyed a front-and-center position next to Peru President Dina Boluarte.

The retiring president, who leaves office Jan. 20, is expected to arrive Sunday in Rio de Janeiro for the annual G-20 summit of leaders from the world’s most economically successful countries.