President Biden met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Indonesia. It's just one of a series of top-level international meetings that continue this week.
Diplomacy requires choices, including which international gatherings to attend. This is a busy time for policy meetings, especially in Asia.
When it comes to presidential attendance, the United States and China are making different choices.
The flurry of meetings started last week outside the region with the climate conference in Egypt. President Biden stopped by and made remarks. Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped it entirely.
Climate change remains one area of potential cooperation between the two countries, but expectations are low for any immediate progress.
At the end of the week, the regional focus shifted to Southeast Asia. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered in Cambodia.
Biden went — the first time a U.S. president has attended in person since 2017.
Xi didn’t go, but China’s premier did.
Next came the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia where Biden and Xi met in their first in-person summit since Biden became president.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit follows in Bangkok.
President Biden will skip that one, sending Vice-President Kamala Harris in his place.
Xi Jinping will attend, getting the last in-person presidential word in an area that is increasingly a point of contention between Washington and Beijing when it comes to regional influence.
