Biden, Xi to discuss Taiwan at APEC meeting, says expert

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are slated to convene in San Francisco next Wednesday (Nov. 15), with Taiwan expected to be a primary focus of their discussions, according to an American think-tank expert.

Ian Johnson, a senior China researcher from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), identified four key issues on their meeting agenda: Taiwan, fentanyl containment, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and climate change response.

He assumes Xi will look for Biden to restate the United States' stance of not backing Taiwan's independence, as Beijing views Taiwan as a part of China and is vehemently against its independence.

Xi might also expect Biden to affirm that the U.S. does not favor any particular political party in the Taiwan presidential elections.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit talk marks a direct face-to-face dialogue between the leaders of the two superpowers following their meeting during the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in Nov. 2022.