New Delhi: Ahead of a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, Beijing has said that it hopes to bring its relations with Washington “back on track”, reported news agency AFP. The two world leaders are slated to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Indonesia’s Bali province.
Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that China wants "mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation" with the US, the news agency reported.
Relations between the two countries have been strained, which deepened by growing tensions in recent years over a host of issues ranging from Hong Kong and Taiwan to the South China Sea, coercive trade practices and U.S. restrictions on Chinese technology.
The tensions escalated this year after United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, amid threats by China as it considers the self-governing island nation as its own territory. Pelosi’s visit was followed by several military drills by Beijing near Taiwan.
Since Biden became President in January 2021, Xi and Biden have had five phone or video calls and had met in person last during the Obama administration when Biden was the Vice President.
ALSO READ: India's G20 Presidency Will Be Grounded In 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam': PM Modi Ahead Of Bali Summit
China’s statement came hours after White House said that Biden wants to reopen communication, set “guard rails” in talks with Xi.
President Joe Biden wants his meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Indonesia to repair lines of communication and help establish "guard rails" to keep the competing superpowers from veering into conflict, said US officials, quoted by the news agency.