US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet online on November 15, 2021. Photo: AFP/VNA

The two leaders have not met in-person since Biden took office in January 2021. Their communication was limited to phone calls and video calls. A US official said that in the latest phone call in July, President Biden and President Xi decided to find the most suitable time to hold an in-person meeting.

In August, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the Chinese President would attend the G20 Summit in Indonesia in November. President Xi has not recently attended major summits and cut back on foreign trips due to the COVID-19 epidemic.