US President Joe Biden said Friday he may meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a summit in San Francisco in November but it was not yet confirmed, as Beijing and Washington seek to mend ties.
“There has been no such meeting set up, but it is a possibility,” Biden told journalists at the White House, after reports that two leaders were set to hold talks.
Beijing has not confirmed whether Xi will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the western US city.
Biden had said last month he was “disappointed” that Xi was not attending a G20 summit in New Delhi but added that he was “going to get to see him”, although he did not elaborate.
Tensions between the United States and an increasingly assertive China have mounted as the two powers push for influence, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
Bilateral ties face a long list of problems, from trade disputes to Taiwan’s future to the expansive Chinese presence in the South China Sea.
But the United States has been working to restore a more effective working relationship, sending a series of senior officials to China in recent months despite continuing friction.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in the Mediterranean island nation of Malta in mid-September in the latest attempt to reach out.
Wang is meanwhile expected to visit Washington at some point ahead of the APEC summit.
