NSC Spox-Active Efforts To Get Biden-Xi Meeting

Wires carrying comments from National Security Council spox John Kirby, states that, "Discussions are continuing with China on a possible Biden-Xi meeting".

• Speculation has been that the US and Chinese presidents could meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Indonesia in November. A meeting at this time would come just weeks after the Chinese Communist Party National Congress, where Xi is expected to be confirmed for a third five-year term in office.
• Earlier, Kirby stated that since Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan there has been, "a clear attempt by the Chinese to to permanently alter the status quo in and around Taiwan." Says this 'unacceptable'.
• A meeting between both leaders could be seen as an attempt to mend fences. The last lengthy Biden-Xi call came days before Pelosi's Taiwan trip, and since then Chinese military drills around the island have seen tensions rise significantly around some of the world's busiest shipping lanes.