Biden, Xi compete for Asia-Pacific allies at summit

US President Joe Biden (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after a meeting during the APEC) Leaders’ week in Woodside, California on November 15.//AFP

San Francisco, United States – – US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping made rival bids to win over Asia-Pacific allies at a summit in San Francisco Thursday, just a day after the two leaders met in a bid to reduce tensions between the superpowers.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Biden told business leaders attending the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in San Francisco as he tried to reassure the 21 member economies of US commitment to the region.

Biden said there would be regional and global benefits from his talks with Xi, a day after they met for the first time in a year at a villa outside the city and emerged pledging to avoid a dangerous rift.

They agreed to…