Biden, Xi talk climate and food security at G-20

President Joe Biden met with China President Xi Jinping for three hours on Monday for their first in-person meeting since Biden took office. They met ahead of the Group of 20 summit of large economies in Bali, Indonesia. Xi said he hoped the meeting would chart U.S.-China relations for the next two years. Biden said he hoped the world’s two largest economies could “manage” their differences. 

What will the summit accomplish? The G-20 summit will start on Tuesday with the theme of “Recover Together, Recover Stronger.” Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending—Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is attending in his place. The summit’s official priorities are health, sustainable energy, and digital transformation, while the global economy and the war in Ukraine will likely be undercurrents. Together, the G-20 countries represent roughly 80 percent of the world’s economic output. 

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong’s report in World Tour on China creating covert outposts that may target dissidents abroad.