Will Biden and Xi's Meeting Improve US-China Relations?

American and Chinese diplomats have spent months preparing for Wednesday’s meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Will their efforts pay off?

‘Xi and Biden need to rebuild trust’: The editorial board of the South China Morning Post (Center bias), a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper, said Biden and Xi “must aim to seek common ground and narrow their differences,” predicting it would “reassure a world concerned by intensifying rivalry.”

‘Biden’s mental impairment’: Fox News (Opinion rated Right) contributor Liz Peek echoed GOP 2024 frontrunner Donald Trump’s argument that Biden’s age and purported mental state were a liability. Peek also suggested Biden might be “compromised” by money paid by Chinese companies to Biden’s family members, which she said could “persuade” Biden to adopt “the Communist Party line.”

‘An almost insurmountable obstacle’: CNN (Opinion rated Left) world affairs columnist Frida Ghitis argued that even if more “modest” goals were achieved, it would not change the fact that Xi “is aiming to restore his country to some historic greatness and power,” pitting it against U.S. dominance. Thus, “many of the world’s problems are America’s problems, and thus wins for China.”

Other Voices: The San Jose-based Mercury News (Lean Left bias) published an op-ed featuring opinions from some Chinese students at U.S. universities, who discussed their hopes for “mutual respect.” Meanwhile, a Foreign Policy (Center bias) analyst wrote, “Having nothing to write home about would be the preferred outcome for both sides.”