Biden will have final meeting with Chinese President Xi this week before Trump's term begins

Joe Biden will meet for a final time this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the US president prepares to hand over power — and the reins of the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship — to President-elect Donald Trump in January.

The meeting, set for Saturday on the sidelines of a summit of Pacific leaders in Peru, serves as a bookend to the president’s high-stakes attempts to position the US against an increasingly assertive Beijing. It will be the third sit-down between the two leaders since Biden took office.

Unlike their previous meetings, the Lima talks won’t result in a long list of takeaways or deliverables. Instead, senior US officials described the meeting as a moment for reflection between two men whose relationship began more than a decade ago on a lengthy trip through China.

For all of the reminiscing Biden and Xi may do, however, their final encounter will be shadowed by the results of last week’s election. Trump enters office having promised a hard line on China and has already placed a string of China hawks in key positions ahead of his swearing-in in January, portending a contentious relationship in the years ahead.

As he builds out his administration, Trump has selected advisers who advocate a tough approach to China, including Rep. Mike Waltz to serve as national security adviser and potentially Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state. Trump has also vowed to impose tough tariffs on Chinese imports as a way to protect American industry.