President Biden will meet with President Xi Jinping of China on Saturday during a global summit in Peru, White House officials said Wednesday. The one-on-one meeting will be Mr. Biden’s final opportunity to challenge the Chinese leader directly on hacking, threats against Taiwan, human rights violations and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It will be the first time the two leaders have met in person since a summit between them in California a year ago. That meeting was described by both sides as the beginning of improved relations after deep tensions following Mr. Biden’s decision in early 2023 to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon that drifted over the United States.
Administration officials said they expected Mr. Biden to confront Mr. Xi on issues of disagreement, but to also welcome the resumption of direct communications between the two governments, including the militaries. Mr. Biden has sought to stabilize what he has called the most consequential relationship in the world and has encouraged competition, not conflict.
But the meeting comes as President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to take office again, promising a much more aggressive approach to China that includes vast tariffs on Chinese goods headed for the American marketplace. That has left foreign policy analysts to predict a much more volatile period of tension between the two leaders.
Mr. Biden will be in Peru for the annual meeting of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. He will meet with Mr. Xi before heading to a brief stop in the Amazon and then the Group of 20 summit of world leaders in Rio de Janeiro.
White House officials said on Tuesday that Mr. Biden would discuss areas of cooperation that have been successful over the past four years with the Chinese leader.
