Washington, 6 October 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The US government expects a personal meeting between President Joe Biden and China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping soon, according to a news report.

The two were due to meet at the Asia-Pacific Summit (APEC) in San Francisco in November, the Washington Post reported on Thursday evening (local time), citing US government sources.

"There has been no such meeting set up but it is a possibility," Biden said when asked on Friday.

The Washington Post wrote that a personal conversation was “fairly certain” and that the US government was beginning the planning process. The newspaper quoted a government representative.

It would be the first meeting between Biden and Xi since November last year. At that time, both met on the sidelines of the G20 summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Relations between the US and China have been at a low point for some time - despite recent visits by high-ranking US officials to China.

China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine and threats against Taiwan are causing controversy.

It has been expected for some time that there could be a meeting between Biden and Xi during the APEC summit. However, the White House has remained cautious publicly. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and China's chief diplomat Wang Yi met in Malta recently.

Photo: MIA archive