APEC SAN FRANCISCO: Biden, China’s Xi to meet next week

SAN FRANCISCO – China is ready to strengthen dialogue with the United States “at all levels” to mend their relations and work together on global challenges, Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng said on Wednesday.

Han was speaking just a few days before the Asia-Pacific Economic Coopertion summit summit in San Francisco, where US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are expected to meet for the first time since Bali a year ago.

Xi’s attendance at APEC and his meeting with Biden was confirmed by the White House. Recent months have seen an increase in reciprocal high-level visits between Washington and Beijing – widely seen as laying the groundwork for a bilateral summit.

Meanwhile, a “senior Chinese official and his ministerial delegation” plan to attend a dinner with members of the US business community on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in San Francisco, according to an invitation sent out by two organisations devoted to bilateral ties.

The invitation distributed by the National Committee on US-China Relations and the US-China Business Council on Tuesday did not identify who would be headlining the US$2,000-a-head event, offering only that one official will “deliver a major speech” at the gathering.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping was the headliner, citing sources familiar with the matter. The event is projected to draw a large crowd, including top CEOs from Apec-based companies, Bloomberg said.

Interested parties were prompted to respond quickly to the invitation, with organisers suggesting that tickets are in high demand. The event, on November 15, is co-sponsored by the Asia Society, Council on Foreign Relations and the US Chamber of Commerce. (APEC Newsletter)