Biden to meet China's leader-in-waiting

BEIJING: US Vice President Joe Biden will meet the man widely expected to become China's next leader as he begins his first official visit on Thursday under a cloud of criticism over America's debt crisis.

Biden is under pressure to revive the image of the United States after the world's largest economy came close to a disastrous default on its debts earlier this month and suffered a historic credit rating downgrade.

China is the biggest foreign holder of US debt and the country's state run media have delivered a barrage of criticism of Washington's handling of the crisis, which it has described as a "ticking time bomb".

On Thursday Biden, 68, will attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before meeting Xi Jinping, who is expected to be named as successor to President Hu Jintao next year.

Chinese media said the debt crisis and US weapons sales to Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of its territory, would be the top items on the agenda during Biden's five-day visit.

The Global Times daily said US arms sales to Taiwan were the "biggest source of disagreement between Washington and Beijing".

"The US has shown increasing concern over China's growing global influence and a new round of arms sales to Taiwan is brewing in Washington," said an editorial in the paper's English-language edition.

"Any misstep in dealing with the issue of arms sales to Taiwan may disrupt the improving relationship between the two powers."

The United States is expected to decide by October whether to sell Taipei F-16 fighter jets, a step promoted by US lawmakers but strongly opposed by Beijing. Biden's aides said he did not plan to speak to China about Taiwan.

Biden, who attended a friendly basketball game between a Chinese team and the Georgetown University Hoyas after landing in Beijing on Wednesday, will seek to build a rapport with Xi, who is virtually unknown in US policy circles.

The US number two is also due to meet China's parliamentary chief Wu Bangguo later Thursday, and will hold talks with Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday before travelling to the southwestern boomtown of Chengdu.

His trip comes amid growing concern in the United States about China's human rights record.

As the largest foreign holder of US debt with around $1.17 trillion in US Treasuries by the end of June, China watched nervously as Washington came close to default this month and Standard & Poor's downgraded the US credit rating.

Biden is also expected to suggest China focus on its own economic reforms, such as letting its currency appreciate and shifting from a reliance on exports to an economy based on consumption, and also touch on human rights.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011