Biden feels "good" about midterms and claims stronger position with Xi

By Al Mayadeen Engish
Source: Agencies
13 Nov 2022 13:25
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US President Joe Biden gets ready to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the G20 summit.

US President Joe Biden (Getty mages)

Following the midterm elections, US President Joe Biden stated on Sunday that he is optimistic about his remaining in office since the Democratic Party was able to keep control of the Senate.

Earlier in the day, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto got re-elected in Nevada, preserving the party's majority of at least 50 seats in the Senate.

According to a White House pool report, Biden stated that he felt good about the news in Nevada and was looking forward to the following two years of his presidency.

Furthermore, the US president stated that he is now in a stronger position to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting that they have always had straightforward exchanges.

On Sunday, Biden assured the East Asia summit that despite their rivalry, the US and China will maintain open lines of communication in order to prevent a confrontation.

China confirms Xi, Biden meeting on sidelines of G20 summit in Bali

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold meetings with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the three-day-long G20 Summit scheduled to begin on November 14.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Xi will be also meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and Argentina's Alberto Fernandez on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali.

After the summit ends, Xi will then head to Thailand on November 17 to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Zhao confirmed.

Yesterday, White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Biden and Xi will meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit to talk about a range of regional and global issues to "discuss efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication," as well as how to "responsibly manage competition and work together where our interests align."

Since becoming President in January 2021, Biden has not met with the Chinese leader, limiting contact between the two superpowers leaders to a series of phone and video calls.

Their last meeting in person was in 2015 when Joe Biden was then Vice-President to former US President Barak Obama

US won’t contain China by exploiting Taiwan issue: Official

The chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Zhanshu stressed that Washington will not be able to "contain" China by using tensions in the Taiwan Strait as a bargaining chip with Beijing.

Li made his remarks in Moscow on Friday at a meeting with the chairwoman of the Russian parliament’s upper chamber, the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko.

“Indeed, the Taiwan question concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Now Taiwan is seeking independence with the help of the US. The US seeks to contain China through Taiwan. This won’t work,” the official said.

Li also highlighted the recent squabble in the US-China relationship over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as an integral part of the country.

The US administration "treacherously indulged" Pelosi with her "provocative trip," according to the official.

Beijing has reiterated on numerous occasions that the one-China principle was a political foundation of US-Sino relations, explaining that the US violated its own obligations and has been jeopardizing bilateral cooperation, as well as peace and stability in the region.