Xi, Biden Likely To Agree To Reopen Consulates, Report Says

The possible agreement between China's leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden comes as ties between the two countries improve even as they spar over Taiwan and alarm grows in Washington over Beijing's nuclear arsenal.

President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are likely to announce the reopening of consulates shuttered last year, Politico reported, which would be one of the biggest steps yet to repair ties fractured during the Trump administration.

The two leaders, who are planning a virtual summit in the near future, are also likely to announce an easing of visa restrictions, the news outlet reported Thursday, citing sources it didn't identify. The US is also seeking to make progress on trade and climate issues, as well as start a bilateral nuclear weapons dialogue -- something Beijing has resisted.

Ties between the US and China have quietly improved in recent months even as they spar over Taiwan and alarm grows in Washington over Beijing's nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon warned Wednesday that China is expanding its nuclear weapons capabilities more rapidly than previously believed, a development that comes after the US's top uniformed military officer, General Mark Milley, said China's test of hypersonic systems was close to a "Sputnik moment" for America.

A group of four Democratic lawmakers wrote a letter to Biden urging him to make nuclear risk reduction measures with China a top priority in his meeting with Xi, which has yet to be scheduled. China, which resisted joining US-Russia arms control discussions last year, sees such moves as "dragging" China into "unfair arms talks" to contain China and justify American moves to strengthen its nuclear capability, the Communist Party-backed Global Times said in a report Friday.