Xi Uses the "Biden-Xi Meeting" in Peru to Complain While Courting Trump

Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently attended the APEC Summit, where during the leaders' group photo session, he stood alone at the center of the stage, with no one approaching him for conversation, appearing visibly desolate. (Video screenshot)

[People News] The 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, hosted by Peru, concluded at midday on November 16 local time. During the group photo session at the APEC Summit, world leaders donned a Peruvian specialty—a brown alpaca wool scarf—before taking the stage to find their spots and await the photo.

While many leaders grouped into small clusters, chatting happily, Chinese leader Xi Jinping stood alone at the center of the stage, with no one approaching to converse with him, appearing visibly lonely.

Political commentator Cai Shenkun posted on the X platform on November 17, sharing a video and commentary. He remarked that such scenes often seem comical: Xi Jinping, who holds a doctorate from Tsinghua University and claims authorship of hundreds of books translated into dozens of languages, positions himself as a global leader. Yet, on a small international stage, his façade falls apart—no one even bothers to approach him for conversation. "He treats others as invisible, and they treat him as nonexistent," Cai quipped.

During the Peru summit, U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping held a meeting dubbed the "Biden-Xi Meeting." Analysts suggested that Xi's expressions of willingness to cooperate during this meeting were more directed at Donald Trump, as Xi hopes for a "strong start and steady rise" in U.S.-China relations in the future. However, Trump’s hardline stance and the hawkish team he is assembling for his potential administration indicate that the relationship between the two superpowers is likely to remain more competitive and confrontational than cooperative, especially as the U.S.'s technological containment of China appears firmly established.

According to Voice of America, Biden and Xi met on Saturday, November 16, in Peru for a session lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes. As usual, both leaders reiterated their positions on contentious issues, expressing their differences, but also signaled a positive willingness to manage these disagreements.

Xi Jinping publicly stated that China is "willing to maintain dialogue, expand cooperation, and manage differences" with the U.S. government. However, he also criticized the U.S., saying that its approach of "decoupling and breaking supply chains is not the solution... 'small yards with high fences' (technological containment) is not the behavior of a major power."

Analysts have suggested that while Xi’s meeting was with Biden, his remarks were aimed at Donald Trump, who is poised to return to the White House.

Shen Dingli, an international relations scholar based in Shanghai, explained that Xi’s underlying message was that the CCP seeks cooperation, not conflict, and hopes for a "strong start and steady rise" in bilateral relations during Trump’s second term, avoiding the "strong start and sharp decline" seen eight years ago. Xi’s most pressing concern, Shen noted, is ensuring that the two militaries do not accidentally clash or experience a significant military confrontation.

Chi-Fung Liu, an assistant professor in the Asia-Pacific English program at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, observed that given Trump’s current selection of hardline cabinet candidates, the likelihood of loosening U.S. containment policies on China is slim. Xi’s complaints about the Biden administration’s "small yards with high fences" strategy indicate that the U.S.’s technological containment policies are indeed effective and have dealt a severe blow to China’s economy. As a result, Xi is attempting to find a breakthrough during the U.S. administration transition, but such efforts may prove futile.

Liu further noted that the U.S.-China summit consisted of both sides "talking past each other." Xi’s mention of the "four constants" during the meeting was merely a "unilateral declaration." The CCP’s ultimate goal remains to compete with the U.S., while externally portraying the U.S. as the primary disruptor of international order and peace.