President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a virtual summit next week, according to the New York Post. The report comes after indications that Biden has dodged inquiries about whether he would press China on the origins of COVID-19.
Bloomberg, who first broke the story, did not indicate a specific date for the meeting. However, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that although the meeting could be this month, it could also occur in December.
"We have an agreement in principle with the PRC [People's Republic of China] that President Xi and President Biden will have a virtual bilateral meeting before the end of the year," Jean-Pierre said. "This is part of our ongoing efforts to responsibly manage the competition between our countries — not about seeking specific deliverables, so I want to make clear on that."
On Monday, Biden listened to a question on whether he would press China on COVID-19's origins before walking away without answering. Still, in an October CNN town hall, Biden made it a point to defend Taiwan from China using the United States military.
"China, Russia, and the rest of the world knows we have the most powerful military in the history of the world," Biden stated in a Post report. "Don't worry about whether we're going to — they're going to be more powerful. What you do have to worry about is whether or not they're going to engage in activities that will put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake."
"So, are you saying that the United States would come to Taiwan's defense if China attacked?" CNN's Anderson Cooper asked.
"Yes," Biden responded. "Yes, we have a commitment to do that."
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