Biden says he will meet Xi at G20 if Chinese leader attends

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden struck a note of confidence on Tuesday on meeting his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit in Bali this Fall.

Asked if he would see Xi Jinping at the gathering of world leaders, the president said, "If he's there I'm sure I'll see him."

The comments come after the White House confirmed Aug. 12 that planning for a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the world's top two economies is underway.

The Wall Street Journal reported that day Chinese officials are working to set up the in-person meeting in November when Xi is planning to attend a pair of summits in Indonesia and Thailand in what will mark his first foreign trip since January 2020.

The G20 will be held in Bali Nov. 15-16 while the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is slated to occur two days later.