Biden and Xi, once travel companions, face off in virtual meeting
WASHINGTON — Nearly a decade ago, Joe Biden hosted Xi Jinping for a tour of America that ended in Los Angeles, where they visited a school dedicated to teaching Asian languages. As they mingled casually with students, the two vice presidents couldn’t avoid the geopolitics hanging over what was supposed to be a lighthearted affair.
U.S. relations with China would determine the course of the century, Biden said, calling it “the single most important engagement we have.”
Now, Biden and Xi are presidents of their respective countries, and are responsible for navigating a relationship that has slipped from wary optimism into bitter pessimism. There are no more goodwill trips, no more hopeful statements about fostering mutual understanding.
As the two leaders began their face-to-face meeting via videoconference on Monday, there were only a few flickers of warmth from their years of visiting each other’s homelands.
Biden acknowledged that
