It is tempting to either overestimate the significance or underplay the importance of the bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on Wednesday. The first meeting between the two leaders since the G20 Bali summit a year ago can be described as a success, given the context of the acrimonious rhetoric between the two powers in the recent past. On its part, New Delhi needs to keep a close eye on Beijing’s ties with Washington and ensure that India continues to protect and consolidate its interests vis a vis America.
The two countries have resumed military-to-military communications, which China had ended after then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year. China agreed to crack down on the manufacture and export of Fentanyl, a deadly drug and adulterant in narcotics. The leaders reportedly also spoke about the conflict in Palestine and on the Taiwan question and the meeting also showcased other fundamental differences between the two countries. By all accounts, the US has managed to bring China to the table while giving relatively little in return — trade and military restrictions, for example, have not been withdrawn. Over the last decade or so, the US has also made strategic gains and cemented partnerships in Asia — through the Quad, AUKUS and deepening of ties with old allies like Japan. The meeting could be seen as a confidence-building measure between two powers locked in a proxy conflict.
