Home » World » G20, handshake between Xi and Biden: “No nuclear weapons in Ukraine” – World

G20, handshake between Xi and Biden: “No nuclear weapons in Ukraine” – World

Over three hours of negotiations, no joint communiques and separate declarations, yet converging on many points, starting with the common rejection of a new cold war. Joe Biden shows up in Bali in the presence of Xi Jinping on the strength of the results of the mid-term elections. “America is back: I promised and I keep my commitments”, said the American president at the end of the talks. The summit seems to have gone well – perhaps better than expected – and the two leaders show that they are willing to work to “get back on track” (as the Chinese say) the relationship between the two superpowers. Starting with a basic understanding on the thorniest issue of the moment: the war in Ukraine.

China – Xi said – is extremely concerned about the current situation, it shows that conflicts do not produce winners, that there are no simple solutions to complex issues and that confrontation between the main countries must be avoided”. The two leaders also agreed that “nuclear weapons must not be used in Ukraine,” the White House said. It may seem obvious but considering the threats that often rain from Moscow it has a strong weight. Moreover, there would be practical confirmation, given that – according to Western diplomatic sources – the final communiqué of the G20 was agreed, at least at the level of the Sherpas, and the text branded the use of atomic bombs as “unacceptable”.

Not only. In the draft, after feverish work, the word “war” is explicitly used (forbidden in Russia, where it is referred to as a “special military operation”) to define the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the negative effects on energy are “deplored” , on food products and on inflation. In short, Moscow appears increasingly isolated and it is no coincidence that a Chinese source confided to the Financial Times that “Putin did not tell Xi the truth about the imminent start of the war”, leaving Beijing in a “difficult” situation.

Then of course, thinking that all the tensions accumulated over the years can be resolved in just one face-to-face is fantasy. Taiwan remains the knot to untie, hopefully without swords. If Biden’s goal was to let Xi know his “stakeholders” to hinge the relationship on, the Chinese leader replied with the same coin: “It is the first red line for us and it must not be crossed”. Moreover. “Taiwan’s peace and independence are as irreconcilable as water and fire,” Xi warned.

The American president reiterated that the US opposes “aggressive and coercive” actions against Taipei but then, at a press conference, said he was convinced that there are no signs of an “imminent” aggression by Beijing against Taiwan. The goal was to speak clearly and face to face – it is the first bilateral since Biden became president – and to be frank even on points of disagreement. But Xi, Biden assured, would be willing to “find compromises” and the two administrations have decided to form a “contact team” to work on solving the problems. After the bilateral, for example, it was agreed to restart talks between the two countries on the climate, after Beijing had frozen them following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The resident of the White House clearly stated that he did not want “a new Cold War” with China and that the competition (there is, there will be and will be “harsh”) must be “managed” to prevent it from leading to one “clash”. And Xi agrees on this point. “The successes of China and the United States – said Xi – are opportunities, not challenges, for each other: the world is big enough for the two countries to develop and prosper together”. Here, not really a pact to divide up the planet but certainly an offer of mutual interest.

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