According to Sullivan, Biden will not make any demands on China, but will present Xi "his point of view". This is that North Korea poses a threat not only to the US, South Korea and Japan, but also to the peace and stability of the entire region.

On Thursday, the White House confirmed the planned meeting between Biden and Xi. Both presidents want to talk about a deepening of communication channels and a "responsible approach to competition" between the two countries. Biden himself had already said on Wednesday that he would discuss the "red lines" between the two states at a meeting with Xi and explore possible "conflicts" between the two countries' central interests.

North Korea had recently intensified its missile tests in response to joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States. Washington and Seoul have been warning for months that North Korea could conduct a nuclear weapons test in the near future.