Biden wants to show he's focused on Asia-Pacific, while dealing with Russia-Ukraine and Mideast wars
President Joe Biden wants to show Asia-Pacific leaders that he remains focused on the region even as his administration is grappling with the wars in Ukraine and the Mideast and a looming government shutdown in Washington
SAN FRANCISCO — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden is looking to use this week's summit of Asia-Pacific leaders to show world leaders the United States has the gumption, attention span and money to focus on the region even as it grapples with a multitude of foreign and domestic policy crises.
Biden's highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday is the main event of his four-day visit to San Francisco, where leaders from the 21 economies that make up the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are gathering for their annual summit. The talks with Xi are of enormous importance as the leaders of the world's two biggest economies try to find a measure of stability after what's been a difficult year for U.S.-China relations.
But the White House also wants to demonstrate to APEC's leaders that Biden can remain focused on the Pacific while also trying to keep the Israel-Hamas war from exploding into a broader regional conflict and to persuade Republican lawmakers to continue to spend billions more on the costly Ukrainian effort to repel Russia's nearly 21-month old invasion.
“President Biden this coming week will be doing a lot more than just meeting with President Xi,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in Washington on Monday. He added that Biden would put forward his economic vision for the region, make the case that the U.S. is “the very eminent driver” for sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific, and hold the region out as critical
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