What will be discussed at the upcoming Presidential Meeting between Xi and Obama?

People's Daily

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Barack Obama will attend the APEC Informal Leadership Meeting and pay a state visit to China from 10 to 12 November. The two leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations and on major international and regional issues of common concern.

Experts say that topics including China-US trade, energy, anti-terrorism, and the DPRK nuclear issue will be covered at the meeting. APEC Senior official Wang Xiaomin said in August that the two leaders would have discussions on China-US trade, counter-terrorism, the DPRK nuclear issue, network security, bilateral cooperation, and disagreements.

Wang Fan, vice president of China Foreign Affairs University, remarked that this Presidential Meeting will cover China-US relations, as well as regional and global hot issues.

From the bilateral perspective, Wang Fan believes that China's advocacy of jointly building a new type of great power relationship will be reaffirmed and emphasized at the meeting.

In terms of China-US cooperation, climate change and energy issues may be the focus. "US think tanks also think that these are key issues," said Wang. "It will be easier for both sides to reach an agreement on such relatively soft issues".

As to foreign affairs, Wang believes that measures against terrorism is one of the issues to be discussed. "Overall, China and the U.S. share the same view on counter-terrorism. The two countries can engage in greater cooperation. However, we hope the U.S. will stop applying double standards in the fight against terrorism".

According to Wang Fan, hot issues surrounding China cannot be avoided. China-Japan relations and the DPRK nuclear issue will be discussed. "Such hot issues touch upon China's core interests. China wishes that the U.S. would play a constructive role instead of exacerbating the situation", said Wang.

On the global level, the two sides will have communication and exchanges over serious current security issues including the Ebola epidemic, the Islamic State, and Ukraine.

Sun Zhe, director of China-US Relations Research Center at Tsinghua University, also said that the topics of the Presidential Meeting will begin with China-US relations, and that Asia-Pacific stability will be the focus when they talk about regional and global situations.

Wang Fan believes the Presidential Meeting is of positive significance to keep the surrounding hot issues under control. In addition, "Two leaders might have a long talk, like the meeting held at the Annenberg Estate last year. This meeting will deepen their trust and understanding, and the trust between the two leaders can further strengthen the trust between the two countries".