Factbox: Top pain points between US and China as Xi, Biden meet

GBNEWS24DESK//

US President Joe Biden will hold an online meeting on Monday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the most extensive leader-level talks between the two nations under the Biden administration.

Officials on both sides have played down expectations for specific outcomes, amid an increasingly fractious relationship. Among the contentious issues are:

TAIWAN

Biden has accused China of ramping up military activity to intimidate self-ruled Taiwan, which Washington is required by law to provide with means to defend itself.

China, which claims the island as its own and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control, has been concerned by US moves to deepen ties with Taiwan and a statement by Biden that Washington would come to its defense.

The White House has stressed there has been no change in the US policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would defend Taiwan, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken further muddied the waters when he said Washington and its allies would take unspecified “action” if China were to use force to alter the status quo.

In a telephone call with Blinken on Saturday, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said Washington should not send the wrong signals Biden and China’s Xi will hold virtual meeting to Taiwan pro-independence forces.