Biden's Last Stand: Diplomacy Amid Rising Tensions

President Joe Biden meets with China's Xi Jinping to address North Korea's support for Russia in Ukraine. Both leaders also discuss broader issues, including U.S.-China relations, as Biden's term concludes. The meeting aims to mitigate escalating tensions in the region and address economic concerns.

In a crucial diplomatic encounter, President Joe Biden and China's leader, Xi Jinping, convened to discuss North Korea's intensifying support for Russia's military efforts in Ukraine. The meeting occurred during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, just two months before Biden hands over the reins to President-elect Donald Trump.

Biden aimed to persuade Xi to leverage China's influence on North Korea, as Pyongyang's growing military cooperation with Russia poses destabilizing risks. The North has been supplying Russia with artillery and other munitions, alarming the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The leaders pressed that continued cooperation is not in Beijing's best interest.

Beyond the North Korean issue, Biden and Xi examined broader topics impacting U.S.-China relations, including trade, technology, and the geopolitical tensions over Taiwan. As Biden's political career draws to a close, the meeting represented his effort to shape a more stable political landscape while acknowledging the complexity of U.S.-China interactions in the years ahead.

(With inputs from agencies.)