Media: Biden will have a “tough conversation” with the head of China about Russia and Iran

US President Joe Biden intends to hold “tough negotiations” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which will address, in particular, China’s ties with Iran and its support for Russia in the conflict in Ukraine. About it writes Politico, citing an unnamed US official.

The leaders of the two countries will meet on November 15 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco.

Biden, as the publication notes, during the negotiations will urge the leader of the PRC to use his influence on Tehran in order to prevent Iran from igniting an even more serious conflict in the region against the backdrop of the war between Israel and the Hamas group. Washington is concerned about the threat of the opening of a “second front” by the Hezbollah group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic. The United States believes it is “critical that Iran does not seek to escalate or spread violence in the Middle East,” a senior administration official said. The official added that any “provocative actions” by Iran would prompt a prompt response from the United States.

The heads of the two countries will also discuss human rights, climate cooperation, as well as rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

The previous time the heads of state met was on November 14, 2022, on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in Indonesia. Then the negotiations lasted more than three hours. At the last meeting, Biden warned China against conflict with the United States and noted that Washington will continue to actively compete with Beijing, but rivalry should not develop into conflict.

The APEC summit will be held this year from November 15 to 17 in San Francisco. The forum includes 19 countries and two territories, including Russia, China, the USA, Japan, Canada, etc. Russia will also be represented at the summit. The Kremlin said that they would inform in a timely manner who would go to the event.