U.S. President Joe Biden discusses the 2022 U.S. midterm election results during a news conference in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
WASHINGTON 鈥� President Joe Biden starts a week-long trip to Egypt and Asia on Thursday to grapple with some of the United States鈥� thorniest foreign policy issues, boosted by a better-than-expected showing by Democrats in the midterm elections.
Biden hops from an international climate summit in Egypt on Nov. 11 to an Asean meeting and the East Asia Summit in Cambodia on Nov. 12 and 13 to the annual gathering of the G20, or Group of 20 industrialized nations, in Indonesia from Nov. 14-16.
He鈥檒l hold his first face-to-face meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the G20, where he hopes to explore Xi鈥檚 鈥渞ed lines鈥�, talk to allies about punishing Russia for its Ukraine invasion and discuss containing North Korea after a barrage of missile tests.
Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 on his agenda, according to senior administration officials:
Countering China
Biden told reporters on Wednesday his goal is to get a deeper understanding of Xi鈥檚 priorities and concerns, in a meeting expected on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. He will also discuss the disputed island of Taiwan with Xi.
Biden said he wants to lay out 鈥渨hat each of our red lines are,鈥� understand what Xi believes to be in the national interest of China, discuss U.S. interests and 鈥渄etermine whether or not they conflict with one another.鈥�
Beijing and Washington have been working on an in-person meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in January 2021, U.S. officials have said previously, even as they have talked on the phone and met virtually. There鈥檚 still no public date or time for this meeting.
鈥淭he big question is鈥� are the two leaders going to come in a sort of more conciliatory mode or sort of a more defiant one,鈥� said Matthew Goodman, senior vice president for economics at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e both gotten through their political events of the year,鈥� he said, referring to China鈥檚 Party Congress and the U.S. midterm elections, and could have more reason to try to find common ground than in the past.
Biden will also reaffirm America鈥檚 commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, a rules-based international order in the South China Sea, and discuss trade and China鈥檚 relationship with countries in the region.
Tensions have been high between the United States and China over Taiwan, particularly after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi鈥檚 visit to the self-governing island earlier this year.
Isolating Russia
Biden, facing new challenges in U.S. efforts to squeeze Russia鈥檚 funding sources eight months into Moscow鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, plans to be 鈥渦napologetic鈥� in his defense of Ukraine, and address the war鈥檚 impact on energy and food security at the G20 meeting, the officials said.
On Wednesday, Biden said U.S. aid for Ukraine will continue uninterrupted and any territorial compromise between the two countries is up to Ukraine. Biden also said he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin will be willing to talk about a potential prisoner swap to secure the release of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner.
Putin will not attend the G20 summit in person but is due join one of the meetings virtually, an Indonesian government official said.
Indonesia has also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has said he would not take part if Putin does and was expected to join virtually.
North Korea containment
Biden will also meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol during the Asean summit in Cambodia on Nov. 13 to discuss how to stem North Korea鈥檚 nuclear program, a White House official said.
They will address North Korea鈥檚 鈥渦nlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,鈥� the official said.
Climate change
In remarks on Nov. 11 at the COP27 summit in Egypt, Biden is expected to remind the 196 parties who signed on to the Paris Climate Agreement to keep their eyes on the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, senior administration officials said.
Biden is expected to discuss in a speech and bilateral meetings how Washington is partnering with developing countries to lower emissions by tapping into public and private partnerships, U.S. efforts to decarbonize sectors such as shipping and the pledge to lower methane emissions, the officials said.
Human rights
During his visit to Egypt for COP27, Biden will have a bilateral meeting with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and 鈥渉uman rights will feature prominently in those discussions,鈥� administration officials said.
The U.S. has 鈥渞aised repeated concerns鈥� about jailed activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, whose case has attracted global attention, with his health deteriorating during a 200-plus day hunger strike.
Biden will 鈥渃ontinue to urge the Egyptian government to release political prisoners and undertake human rights related legal reforms,鈥� said one of the officials.
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