SAN FRANCISCO — From his marquee meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to off-the-cuff comments he made during his public appearances, President Joe Biden departs the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum with a mixed bag of results.
But apparent progress toward improved relations with China, or at least avoiding an international incident during next year's election, has overshadowed a lack of progress on issues such as artificial intelligence and trade.
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Expectations were low for APEC and Biden's meeting with Xi, and the outcomes were "low" as a result, according to David Stilwell, a State Department official during the Trump administration. Stilwell cited Biden and Xi's agreements to resume military-military communication after a year of silence, to counter the production and exportation of fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill presses, as well as continuing discussions regarding artificial intelligence and climate.
"Unfortunately, the relationship to date has been characterized by the U.S. asking for things that don't really mean much," Stilwell told the Washington Examiner. "I don't know why we're acting like that's such a great victory. Did we have to give concessions to get them to talk to us in the military sphere?"
The former assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs added that the Trump administration struck a similar deal with China on fentanyl, but it failed because of China.
Matthew Goodman, director of the Council of Foreign Relations's Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies, disagreed, specifically concerning Biden and Xi's meeting, regardless of there being no joint statement.
"I think the meeting went about as well as the White House could have wanted," an Obama National Security Council aide said. "It produced good visuals and useful outcomes on mil-to-mil communication and fentanyl without the U.S. having to concede much."
Fellow Obama alum Tom Cochran, who worked at the State Department but is now a partner at public affairs firm 720 Strategies, added presidents "never" get "exactly" what they want from bilateral and multilateral meetings.
"You do have an opportunity to meet face-to-face and bring back relatable events between two very cloistered, high-profile individuals," he said of Biden and Xi. "They both have shared experiences in their past being vice presidents, so it's good to humanize the relationship with a handshake and a smile."
The overtones of Biden and Xi's public appearances appeared cordial, with the leaders bonding over their respective presidential limousines, an old photo taken of Xi when he was in San Francisco in his 20s or 30s, and Xi wishing Biden a happy birthday before he turns 81 next week after tensions over former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) trip to Taiwan last year and a spy balloon traversing the country last winter.
But there were also serious undertones, with Xi publicly criticizing Biden's "protectionism" related to supply chains and privately on Taiwan and the South China Sea. With China's economy dealing with problems in its real estate market, Xi pitched China to the likes of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during the APEC CEO Summit's scrutinized $40,000-a-table dinner.
“China is ready to be a partner and friend of the United States,” Xi said.
A day later, during the actual summit, Biden underscored that the United States and China have "real differences" concerning "maintaining" a "fair and level economic playing field and protecting your intellectual property," adamant the U.S. is "not decoupling" from China, only "de-risking and diversifying." Simultaneously, APEC economies negotiating Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity did not reach consensus on trade, particularly digital trade, amid domestic political pressure on Biden before the 2024 elections.
Meanwhile, Biden was less diplomatic when he was asked during his post-Xi meeting press conference at Filoli Historic House and Garden whether he still considered Xi to be a dictator. After their four-hour meeting, Biden answered in the affirmative and said that while he trusted Xi, they have a "trust but verify" relationship. China condemned Biden's comments for "extremely wrong" and "irresponsible political manipulation," though the pair were later seen smiling and shaking hands before the end of APEC.
"The good thing about the president is he speaks his mind," Stilwell, the former Trump staffer, said, also pointing to Biden's policy toward Taiwan. "Why would we sit still for an authoritarian bully to beat up on a democratic country that's minding its own business? America hates bullies."
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White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters this week there has been "no change" in the U.S.'s One China position before Taiwan's elections this January.
We made clear "that we don't support independence for Taiwan but that we will, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act, continue to provide self-defense capabilities to Taiwan, and, again, made the point that we don't want to see the status quo changed in any sort of a unilateral way and certainly not by force," he said Thursday.