Indonesia famously played host to Joe Biden and Xi Jinping’s first face-to-face meeting of Biden’s presidency; a milestone in the great power rivalry between East and West. Historically, Indonesia has also been the site of another major international summit - the Bandung Conference which produced a network of “non-aligned” states. Each of these events is a mirror of our modern times as Southeast Asia’s medium-sized powers seek to navigate a contentious climate between the U.S. and China’s competing influences.

China is a traditional land power and is currently in the initial stage of building into a maritime power. On the other hand, the United States is a traditional

This is a highlight moment for ASEAN, with the ASEAN Summit, the G20 Summit and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting coming soon. By hosting these events, ASEAN will be able to demonstrate to the world its strong will and capability to unite the region and provide new impetus for the post pandemic recovery.

Join CSIS for this hybrid event — in-person and live online — to hear from Trustee Chair in Chinese Business & Economics Scott Kennedy, who will discuss the takeaways from his recent extended research trip to China, the first by someone from the Washington think tank community since the outbreak of the pandemic. He will be interviewed and engage in discussion with Peking University Professor Wang Jisi, Founding President of Peking University's Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS) and one of China’s leading authorities on U.S.-China relations. They will discuss developments in domestic Chinese society, U.S.-China relations, and potential pathways to improving the relationship. This event is the bookend event to the February 2022 CSIS event, “A Beijinger in Washington”.

Though Biden and Xi’s first face-to-face meeting since Biden’s presidential term began came with offers of civility and friendship, there remains much work to be done if the U.S.-China rivalry will be toned down within Biden’s first term.

The international landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade, with emerging economies and the intertwining of the interests around the world. The United States will find it difficult to continue on the path that it has pursued since World War II.

Improved China-U.S. relations are within reach. The conciliatory statements by the two presidents, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, as they met face to face on the sidelines of the G20 summit carve out a foothold that can be strengthened and expanded.

China and ASEAN are rapidly becoming a community with a shared future of interdependence. Now at a historical starting point, they are forging new patterns to ensure that their comprehensive strategic partnership makes long-term progress.

The meeting of presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in Bali may be the first step toward restoring normal bilateral ties between China and the United States. The leaders discussed their respective red lines and agreed to resume talks on several topics. But a trust deficit remains.

The warm smiles of presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden as they shook hands in Bali showed that the two countries are not intractable rivals. They may never be free of competition and struggle, but by using the meeting as a compass they can achieve good things for themselves and the world.