G20 summit in Bali an opportunity for Xi and Biden to meet but China and US stay silent on possible talks

Gathering offers a rare chance for Chinese, US leaders to meet for what would be their first face-to-face talks since Biden became president

But analysts question whether a meeting would improve their fractious relationship, given recent developments and global complications

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Xi Jinping is expected to attend the G20 summit in Bali next week, but whether he will meet the US president for talks while he’s there is not yet known. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 11:30pm, 8 Nov 2022Updated: 12:08am, 9 Nov 2022

All eyes are on a possible summit between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies at next week’s G20 gathering, but neither Washington nor Beijing has confirmed that a meeting will take place.

The two-day Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia starts on November 15 and will offer a rare chance for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden to meet in person.

The South China Morning Post has learned that the two sides are working to arrange talks between the two leaders, though neither side is willing to announce it publicly at this stage.

It would be their first face-to-face talks since Biden became US president almost two years ago – largely because of the worst geopolitical tensions Beijing and Washington have seen for decades and due to Covid-related travel disruptions that halted in-person diplomacy for the Chinese leader for two years.

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But despite the attention it has received, neither side has publicly said whether any meeting will take place.

G20 summit in Bali an opportunity for Xi and Biden to meet but China and US stay silent on possible talks

Gathering offers a rare chance for Chinese, US leaders to meet for what would be their first face-to-face talks since Biden became president But analysts question whether a meeting would improve their fractious relationship, given recent developments and global complications

Gathering offers a rare chance for Chinese, US leaders to meet for what would be their first face-to-face talks since Biden became president

But analysts question whether a meeting would improve their fractious relationship, given recent developments and global complications