Biden, Xi meeting eyed for Nov 15: sources

US President Joe Biden (R) and China's President Xi Jinping (L) shake hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Nov. 14, 2022. Photo by AFP

The two sides have not formally announced the date but have made arrangements to hold the meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which the United States is hosting, according to a U.S. official and a Washington-based diplomat, both speaking on condition of anonymity.

The two governments have not yet publicly confirmed the Xi-Biden summit but have given wide indications that they expect it to take place.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Oct. 31 that Washington hoped for a "constructive conversation in San Francisco" between the two presidents.

The summit would be the first between the two leaders since they held lengthy talks in Nov. 2022 in Bali on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit.

Biden and Xi both spoke positively about those talks, saying they were looking for ways to avoid conflict.

But tensions have repeatedly resurfaced, with the United States protesting earlier this year what it described as a Chinese surveillance balloon over U.S. soil.

China in turn has been outraged by growing U.S. pressure including restrictions on high-tech chips, which Washington fears Beijing will put to military use.

Tensions are particularly high over Taiwan.

China has staged major military exercises in response to pro-Taiwan actions by leaders in the U.S. Congress.