SAN FRANCISCO: The White House has officially confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden will engage in a pivotal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the forthcoming APEC Leadership Summit, taking place in San Francisco later this month.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, during a recent daily news conference, responded to inquiries about the reported Biden-Xi rendezvous in San Francisco by stating, "The president is eagerly anticipating it, and I believe that should suffice as an answer."

In addition to this highly anticipated bilateral meeting, President Biden has extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the APEC Leadership Summit. India is expected to be represented by a high-ranking cabinet minister.

Returning to Jean-Pierre's statement regarding the Biden-Xi meeting, she informed reporters, "Discussions have been ongoing. The President has expressed his eagerness to meet with President Xi. I won't delve into specific details regarding this upcoming meeting scheduled for November in San Francisco, but it is set to be a constructive exchange of ideas."

She further clarified, "Our goal is to facilitate a constructive dialogue between the two leaders in San Francisco in November. That's the essence of what I'm conveying. We anticipate a constructive conversation to take place."

Jean-Pierre reiterated the Biden Administration's stance on enhancing relations with China, emphasizing, "We continue to uphold our approach of intense competition with China. We acknowledge that this entails robust diplomacy. This is what the President will be focusing on—a challenging yet crucial conversation."

U.S.-China Relations Under the Spotlight:
Tensions between the world's two major economies have remained persistently elevated over the past year. The ongoing trade dispute between the two nations, characterized by escalating import tariffs imposed on each other's goods, continues to cast a shadow on the relationship. The Biden administration's successful interception of a Chinese surveillance balloon that traversed the entire United States and allegations of Chinese involvement in a cyberattack targeting the emails of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo have further fueled the friction.

Additionally, the U.S. government's imposition of restrictions on the export of advanced computer chips to China has intensified the discord. These tensions have been exacerbated by global events, including Russia's conflict in Ukraine and China's growing assertiveness in the Taiwan Strait.

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