Joe Biden, Xi Jinping to hold virtual summit amid tensions

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a virtual summit on Monday as tensions between the countries deepen.

The competing superpowers surprised many last weeks by issuing a joint declaration to address climate change, at talks in Glasgow, Scotland.

But growing concerns of a military confrontation over Taiwan have thrown their differences into sharp relief.

The pair’s third meeting will address several thorny topics.

Cybersecurity, trade and nuclear non-proliferation are subjects on the table, sources familiar with the negotiations told US media.

In a statement released on Friday, the White House said “the two leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC, as well as ways to work together where our interests align”.

The duo have spoken twice since Mr Biden took office in January, but both have acknowledged bumps in the relationship.

Writing to the National Committee on US-China Relations non-profit last week, Mr Xi said his country was ready to work with the US to get relations back on track. He added that cooperation was “the only right choice”.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES