Even without a joint press conference or statement, the summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping on Wednesday, November 15, in the San Francisco Bay – their first meeting in a year – resulted in "real progress," according to the US president. Biden said the four hours of talks were among the "most constructive and productive" he has had to date with his Chinese counterpart. A few hours after issuing an initial, rather reserved statement in the wake of the meeting, China later described the meeting as "positive, comprehensive and constructive," and said that "San Francisco should be a new starting point for stabilizing China-US relations."

The Americans obtained satisfaction on the two subjects they had publicly stated as priorities: the reopening of communication channels between the two countries' armies – which were frozen since Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taiwan in 2022 – as well as Beijing's commitment to combating illegal exports of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that claims tens of thousands of lives in the United States every year.

On the issue of fentanyl, the Chinese statement simply states that the two presidents agreed to the "establishment of a working group on counternarcotics cooperation." Donald Trump's administration had sanctioned Chinese laboratories and individuals involved in the trade of products used to make fentanyl. To date, China has refused to cooperate with the US until these sanctions are lifted.

But most importantly, the question of Taiwan remains unresolved. China's statement points out that the issue "remains the most important and most sensitive issue in China-US relations." It even takes a martial tone: "China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable." According to the statement, at the previous meeting between Biden and Xi in Bali, Indonesia, in 2022, the United States made a pledge to "not [support] 'Taiwan independence,' stop arming Taiwan, and support China's peaceful reunification."

In San Francisco, Xi asked his American counterpart, according to the Chinese statement, to respect his commitments. In fact, the White House readout from the November 14, 2022, meeting was vaguer: "Our one China policy has not changed, the United States opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side, and the world has an interest in the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

With Taiwanese voters heading to the polls on January 13, 2024, to renew both their president and parliament, Biden has warned China against interfering in the ongoing election campaign. Coincidentally, on Wednesday in Taipei, two of the three opposition candidates announced that they were joining forces. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which is very hostile to Beijing and has so far been leading the race, will now face a much more difficult campaign.

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