Biden avoids predicting US-China relationship under Trump during final meeting with Xi Jinping

President Joe Biden did not attempt to predict what might happen to the US-China relationship once he exits office in January during his final meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Saturday.

Sullivan added in remarks to reporters after the meeting that Biden did not act as a conduit for messages between Xi and the incoming Trump administration. Sullivan acknowledged the Trump transition team “is not in the business of providing us assurances about anything.”

“It’s our job to do all that we can set the new administration up as effectively as possible, and then they will decide how they’ll take things forward,” Sullivan said.

Instead, he said Biden in the meeting sought to underscore with Xi the importance of maintaining honest and straightforward lines of communication. Sullivan described the final meeting as “candid, constructive (and) wide ranging.”