But Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden remained far apart on the wider flashpoint of Taiwan, with the Chinese President telling his U.S. counterpart to stop arming the island, and that reunification was “unstoppable”. But a day of painstakingly choreographed diplomacy ended with a not-so-diplomatic remark as Mr. Biden walked offstage after his press conference. Mr. Xi appeared to brush off the comment, telling an audience hours later that growing U.S.-China ties were vital to both countries. "The U.S. side should... stop arming Taiwan, and support China's peaceful reunification," Mr. Xi told Mr. Biden, according to a readout from China's Foreign Ministry. Mr. Xi nevertheless insisted in a later speech to business leaders that Beijing did not want confrontation with anyone.

Source: The Hindu November 17, 2023 11:05 UTC