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US-China relations
OpinionComment
Shi Jiangtao
Shi Jiangtao

As I see it | High-stakes overseas trips could be a smart move for Xi Jinping

  • Chinese leader may travel to San Francisco for the Apec summit and to Dubai for the UN climate talks
  • Beijing has not confirmed the trips but anticipation is building amid signs tensions are easing with Washington

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Xi Jinping and Joe Biden last met in Bali nearly a year ago. Anticipation is growing for a summit next month in San Francisco. Photo: AFP
Shi Jiangtao
With signs tensions are easing between Beijing and Washington, there is growing anticipation that President Xi Jinping could make two high-stakes trips in the coming months.
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First to San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in November, where he could meet US President Joe Biden after they last met nearly a year ago in Bali. Xi could also attend the COP28 United Nations climate talks in Dubai at the end of November amid calls for China to play a leadership role on the issue.

Neither trip has been confirmed by Beijing as yet. But there has been much discussion about the significance of a San Francisco visit, with comparisons to former leader Jiang Zemin’s 1993 trip to the first Apec summit in Seattle that marked a turning point for bilateral ties in the post-Tiananmen era.

The COP28 climate conference will be held in Dubai from the end of November. Photo: Reuters
The COP28 climate conference will be held in Dubai from the end of November. Photo: Reuters

Rumours have also been swirling about whether Xi will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the opening of COP28, potentially another smart move both for the climate and geopolitics. Xi attended the 2015 UN climate talks in France where the historic Paris Agreement was reached.

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