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President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are anticipated to meet face-to-face in San Francisco next month, aiming to mend the strained ties between their nations.

Over recent years, relations between the two global powerhouses have been tense due to various issues, including concerns over Taiwan, the COVID-19 pandemic origins, allegations of espionage, human rights disputes, and trade tariffs. A senior US official expressed that the likelihood of this meeting is “pretty firm,” and planning is now underway.

The proposed summit follows a series of high-profile engagements and visits between US and Chinese officials in recent months. Notable interactions include Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China in June, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in July, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in August. Furthermore, Blinken recently met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in New York, while US national security adviser Jake Sullivan conversed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta. Biden’s last in-person meeting with Xi was in November 2022 during the G20 summit in Indonesia.

While officials, including Raimondo and Yellen, emphasize that the US has no intention to sever ties with China, Beijing has voiced concerns over the US’s military support to Taiwan.

Speculation suggests that Xi may be present at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit slated for November in San Francisco, a significant event that follows Xi’s absence from the recent G20 summit in New Delhi.