By Yew Lun Tian

BEIJING, (Reuters) – According to Chinese state media editorials published on Monday, Xi Jinping will use his first virtual meeting to confront Joe Biden in the United States. He is likely to urge the United States not to “step back” on Taiwan.

Biden and Xi will meet in person on Tuesday morning Beijing, and Monday night in Washington. This is because friction continues between the two countries over a wide range of issues such as trade, technology, Xinjiang, and Taiwan which China claims to be its self-governed island.

China Daily’s English-language China Daily published Monday an editorial stating that Xi will likely impress Biden saying that Beijing would “realize national reunification within the foreseeable future, regardless of what the price”.

China Daily and other state media outlets are regularly briefed on key issues like China-U.S. relations by government officials. They have also been precise in reflecting Chinese leaders’ priorities.

A Monday editorial published by Global Times by the People’s Daily, which is a tabloid of the Communist Party’s People’s Daily stated that “The Taiwan Question” was the most important issue facing China.

It wrote, “To reduce the danger of a strategic collide between China and America, the latter must step back from Taiwan question” and demonstrate its restraint.

Wang Yi, the top Chinese diplomat for Taiwan warned Washington to avoid sending unintended signals to Taiwan’s pro-independence forces during a Saturday call with Antony Blinken.

Experts claim that China’s recent emphasis on Taiwan among other friction points shows its hesitation to get into conflict with the United States, in spite of all its words and actions.

Li Mingjiang is an associate professor at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore. “Chinese leadership are conscious that China has not finished its modernization” said Li Mingjiang.

He told Reuters that a war would “severely disrupt modernization and slow down its rise.”

Li stated that China does not believe it has the ability to win a decisive military victory on this stage.