The White House says Joe Biden will meet with the President of China from a 'strong position'

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, coming to the meeting from a strong position backed by the powerful U.S. economy. According to Voice of America, Biden will enter the APEC summit with key objectives, including the resumption of direct communication lines between military leaders as a way to reduce tensions between Washington and Beijing. The sensitive issue of Taiwan, along with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, will also be on the negotiation table. John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, stated in an exclusive interview with Voice of America that Biden aims to put more responsible relations on the agenda of this meeting but believes that the U.S. is coming from a stronger position. Kirby also mentioned that Joe Biden is eagerly looking forward to this meeting with the President of China, noting, 'This meeting comes after several months of ups and downs in our relations.' Kirby believes that 'as leaders of two countries — literally, the bilateral relationship is one of the most important in the world — we must elevate it to a more responsible level than it currently is or has been.' The National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator stated that 'the U.S. economy is currently stronger than it has been in several decades, and we have strengthened and revitalized our alliances and partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, although we are also eager to hear President Xi's views on how to manage this relationship in the future.' Kirby commented on China's irresponsible behavior and threats against Taiwan's elections and beyond, without going into details, stating, 'We believe that the real strength of democracy is free and fair elections that are unimpeded and uninterrupted so that foreign interference does not harm them.' In response to a question about re-establishing military-to-military communications, he said, 'I won't get ahead of the meeting that Biden will have with President Xi. It is clear that one of the communication lines that has not been open has been the military leaders' communication line, and this is important because having the ability for both militaries to communicate at various levels is a good factor for reducing tensions and minimizing miscalculations and misunderstandings.' The Strategic Communications Coordinator of the National Security Council also emphasized the importance of the APEC summit, stating, 'We are looking forward to a very constructive summit in the U.S. Twenty-one countries in the region will participate, a region that constitutes 60 percent of global economic output.' Additionally, The Hill, which covers news from the U.S. Congress, reported that the focus of the Biden-Xi meeting will be 'reviving military communications damaged by China in 2022,' 'reducing tensions over Taiwan,' and 'addressing China's interference in global conflicts.' Managing and establishing competitive relations between the two countries is a key goal that emphasizes the need to avoid potential conflicts. Progress is expected on the 'issue of fentanyl drug trafficking from China to the U.S.,' as addressing this issue is likely to be a focal point in Biden's 2024 campaign and will impact broader cooperation between the two countries. This meeting between the U.S. and Chinese leaders, which takes place on the sidelines of the APEC summit, marks the first time Xi Jinping has visited the United States in six years. Biden and Xi last met a year ago in Indonesia but have not spoken since then.