Biden To Discuss Putin's Ukraine War, China-Taiwan Crisis And Climate Change During Asia, North Africa Trip

Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, China's mounting pressure on Taiwan, and the world's climate crisis will be at the heart of U.S. President Joe Biden's upcoming foreign trip, officials said on Tuesday.

What Happened: Biden will meet the leaders of Egypt, Cambodia and Indonesia during his upcoming trip to North Africa and Asia that begins on Friday, reported Reuters. 

The president’s trip will include an international climate summit in Egypt and meetings of A.S.E.A.N. and the Group of 20 industrialized nations in Cambodia and Indonesia, senior U.S. officials said.

See Also: Ukraine Nervous About US Midterms Amid Putin’s War: ‘Hope We Don’t Become Victim To Partisan Debate’

However, the officials still did not reveal information about Biden's potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which the two sides have reportedly been planning for a while.

Biden would begin his trip by traveling to participate in the COP27 United Nations climate change summit in Egypt on Friday to discuss U.S. efforts to reduce emissions and also to hold bilateral talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. 

“Human rights will feature prominently” in discussions with Egyptian leaders, a U.S. official said. 

He will then travel to Cambodia on the weekend to participate in the annual U.S.-A.S.E.A.N. summit and the East Asia Summit to talk about rules-based international order in the South China Sea and to focus on the Indo-Pacific region. 

He will then embark on the last leg of his visit to Indonesia to participate in a summit of leaders from the Group of 20 major economies. Putin hasn't confirmed yet, but there are chances that the two leaders may cross paths during the summit, although the Biden administration has ensured all possible ways to avoid this scenario.

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