President Joe Biden will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Peru during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. This will be the last of three in-person meetings between the leaders during Biden's term. The last time they met in person was a year ago, at the same summit outside San Francisco. Biden will sit across from Xi with significantly diminished power due to the end of his term, while Xi is likely already focused on dealing with the incoming Republican president, Donald Trump. In his second term, Trump has threatened to escalate the trade war with China. Senior officials in the Biden administration declined to comment on whether the president would mention Trump or his policies in the conversation with Xi. Biden is expected to highlight issues of ongoing Chinese support for the Russian defense industrial base, progress in military communications, drug enforcement efforts, and artificial intelligence. Biden is anticipated to warn Xi about potential Chinese cyberattacks on critical U.S. networks. The relationship between the two economies has improved since China increased military tensions around Taiwan and flew a supposed spy balloon over the United States in early 2023. The Biden administration has imposed technological restrictions, banned Chinese electric vehicles, and added tariffs inherited from Trump's first term. Biden's team has sought to keep communication channels open and stabilize ties with China. Biden mentions cyber espionage in his conversations with Xi, and the FBI is investigating a potential Chinese hacker attack on U.S. telecommunications networks.
