The Biden administration is trying to make it hard for China to say no to engagement by seeking a flurry of meetings and phone calls, a strategy aimed at easing tensions and painting President Xi Jinping as recalcitrant if he refuses.
The approach, described by people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified, has involved proposals of meetings and calls from the lowest level all the way up to a possible conversation between Xi and President Joe Biden, something that has been stalled for months now. It’s also meant to appease allied nations in Asia and Europe that are anxious the US isn’t doing enough to ease tension that some fear could lead to open conflict.
