Who is identified as likely to succeed Xi?published at 21:52 Greenwich Mean Time 15 November 2023

21:52 GMT 15 November 2023

Tessa Wong
Asia Digital Reporter

Our next audience question comes via Paul Hayes, 64, from Australia.

Paul asks:

Xi Jinping has been very successful in consolidating his power in the past decade - weakening or booting out rival factions, stacking his leadership team with allies, creating a cult of personality around himself – that there is nobody left seriously considered as a potential rival or even successor to the throne.

Even if there was, Chinese Communist Party politics are so opaque that it remains difficult for outsiders to suss them out.

The best guess is to look at his politburo standing committee, which is the equivalent of a presidential cabinet. Xi himself served a term as vice-president before becoming leader.

But so far none of them have really stood out since taking on their roles. In any case, he has clearly changed his mind on some of his own picks: both his foreign and defence ministers have recently disappeared in as-yet unexplained circumstances.

China has scrapped its presidential term limits under Xi’s rule. Technically this means he can be “president for life” – the worry is that this is exactly what he aims to be.

What exports are blocked from entering the Chinese market?published at 21:32 Greenwich Mean Time 15 November 2023

21:32 GMT 15 November 2023

John Sudworth
North America Correspondent

Our next question comes from Kuteesa Shadrach, a 27-year-old from Uganda.

They ask:

It’s an important question and one that goes to the heart of the US-China relationship today.

For all the talk of a thaw, for all of the niceties and gesture politics of a presidential summit, the truth is the two superpowers are locked in deep strategic rivalry.

The US now limits exports to companies and individuals, external involved in China’s repression of its Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, and to others, external involved in supporting Russia’s military.

Most significantly, Washington has imposed sweeping restrictions, external– unprecedented in scale and scope - on the export to China of semiconductors and chip-making equipment, the lifeblood of any modern economy.

China complains that the US is trying to stymie its rise with a new Cold War.

The US argues that – whatever you call it – it simply makes no sense to allow US technology to fuel the development of a military claiming territory in the South China Sea and threatening Taiwan.

What is the best case scenario for the US?published at 21:11 Greenwich Mean Time 15 November 2023

21:11 GMT 15 November 2023

John Sudworth
North America Correspondent

The first audience question comes from LC, a 33-year-old from the US.

They ask:

In less than 200 words, LC? That's a tough one. The reality is, much has changed in a very short space of time. When I began my posting as a BBC correspondent in China, in 2012, Xi Jinping was just about to begin his tenure as Communist Party General Secretary.

There was - it seems hard to believe now - considerable optimism, external in the outside world that he'd be a reformer.

When I was forced to leave almost a decade later, all of that optimism had gone.

China is today an unapologetically authoritarian superpower, proclaiming the superiority of its values and willing the decline of what it sees as the failed project of democracy. It is also a highly prosperous authoritarian power, deeply embedded into the global economy.

What to do about that reality, how to calibrate the risk, how much to continue to engage and how much to sanction and curtail, are some of the biggest questions of our age.

At the moment Washington agrees - across the political divide – that a tougher approach is needed.

The return of a “good relationship” seems a long way off.

Brandon Livesay
US reporter

While Biden and Xi talk behind closed doors, we are going to answer questions emailed to us from our readers.

First up we will have BBC's former Beijing correspondent John Sudworth, who will be answering some questions about China-US relations and what we might expect to come from today's bilateral.

If you are curious about a certain issue at play in this Biden-Xi meeting, you can send us an email at YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk, external.

Tessa Wong and BBC Monitoring

Image source, AFP

One catchphrase that has dominated Chinese government rhetoric and state media in the months leading up to the summit is “people-to-people” relations between ordinary Americans and Chinese.

People's Daily said "a new chapter" was opening in this field, Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying called them the "foundation” of China-US ties, and Xi himself said that "hope lies in the people”.

Even economic ties were framed this way, after a recent trade expo in China saw a record number of US businesses attend.

Xi's personal connections with "his American friends” have been lauded, especially in English-language articles.

The WW2-era US squadron Flying Tigers who fought against the Japanese for the Chinese - and is periodically cited by Chinese media as an example of good US-China relations - have also once again received heavy coverage.

“It seems increasingly clear that Xi and team have decided their best chance for a tactical stabilisation in US-China relations relies on going around the intransigent Biden Administration and appealing straight to Americans at local and sub-national levels, so the people to people efforts and reporting around them have been turned up to 11,” noted China analyst Bill Bishop this week.

Mike Wendling
US reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Rick Kimberly still doesn't know quite how the future leader of China ended up visiting his farm outside Des Moines.

Prior to the trip in 2012, an advance party showed a particular interest in agricultural areas in Iowa, and Mr Kimberly's family farm growing corn and soybeans fit the bill.

"They also told us that they didn't want anyone to get on the farm machinery.

I suppose they were worried someone might slip and fall," he recalls.

But the officials underestimated the hands-on enthusiasm of the most important member of their delegation, then-Vice President Xi Jinping, who was both delighted and uninjured as he rode the John Deere tractor.

You can read more on this here.

Max Matza
Reporting from San Francisco

Back in San Francisco at the Apec summit, the view from the roof of the Moscone Convention Center shows empty streets below.

A few scattered camera crews can be seen on the pavement, with heavily armed police watching from bridges and rooftops.

No protesters, no commuters and no unhoused people can be seen from the top floor, where delegates are meeting.

The building complex adjacent, The Fun Zone, is also closed down.

Down in the basement of the conference building, an old fashioned San Francisco trolley car has been set up as a prop for journalists. Chinese acrobats are also about to perform for us.

This, apparently, is the real fun zone.

Image source, Reuters

After those opening remarks from Biden and Xi, media members were hustled out of the room.

Now the delegations will get into their discussions behind closed doors.

We are expecting to hear from Biden later today.

In the meantime, we have plenty of analysis and updates from Apec to bring you.

Stick with us.

Image source, Getty Images

Biden and Xi are meeting at Filoli, in Woodside, California, roughly 25 miles (40km) south of San Francisco.

The historic Bay Area estate is surrounded by 16 acres of English Renaissance gardens, an area filled with lush green lawns, trimmed trees and colourful flowers.

It's a stark contrast from San Francisco's concrete-and-glass landscape nearby.

Originally built as a private residence in 1917, Filoli became publicly available in 1975.

That year, it fell under the ownership of a non-profit and site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The non-profit aims to preserve and draw attention to the land which it says was once home to an indigenous tribe native to the area.

Image source, US Pool

We've just heard opening remarks from Chinese President Xi Jinping. He starts off by talking about the last time the two leaders met in Bali, a year and a day ago.

"A lot has happened since then," he says. "The world has emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic but it's still under its tremendous impacts."

He cites other problems the global economy is facing, including supply chain issues and protectionism.

The China-US relationship, he adds, "is the most important bilateral relationship in the world".

"It should develop in a way that benefits our two peoples and fulfils our responsibility for human progress," he says.

Xi acknowledges that it has "never been smooth sailing" with US-China relations, but, he says, for the two countries, "turning back on each other is not an option".

"Confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides," he says.

He closes by saying he believes the two sides are capable of moving past their differences and creating a promising future.

"I look forward to having an in-depth exchange of views and reaching new understandings," he says.

More now from Biden's opening remarks.

Biden told Xi and the others gathered: "To host you in the US is an honour and a pleasure."

Biden mentioned the last time the two met was this time a year ago at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, and he highlighted the importance of meeting "face-to-face".

"We've known each other for a long time," Biden said. "We have not always agreed... I've always found our discussions straightforward and frank."

US President Joe Biden has started the meeting with a short speech.

He says: "we've known each other for a long time, our meetings have always been candid, straight forward and useful".

"I think it's paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader."

Biden adds that "we have to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict".

After walking into the building for today's meeting, Biden and Xi arrived in a meeting room where they were greeted by several Biden administration figures, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

They are now shaking hands with both US and Chinese officials.

Image source, US Pool

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have arrived at a historic estate south of San Francisco where they will hold a bilateral meeting.

The two world leaders shook hands on a red carpet then quickly walked inside the building.

Stay with us for the latest.

We are still waiting for the delegations to arrive.

If you click the Play button at the top of this page you will see our livestream showing the red carpet ready for presidents Biden and Xi.

Members of the military are standing at attention, and several officials are preparing for their arrival.

US officials say their diplomats have been raising the importance of re-establishing military dialogue in "nearly every conversation" with their Chinese counterparts over the past year, but with no success.

The spy balloon incident, "comes up often" when discussing the communications freeze, one official said.

"I think the balloon episode underscored the difficulty we had at the time to be able to establish high-level, consequential communications with Beijing," the official added.

"And we've made that case persistently and consistently.”

Opening up military communications between China and the US will likely be a key talking point today.

Image source, Getty Images

We are expecting Biden and Xi to arrive shortly at Filoli Historic House & Garden, a luxurious property in Woodside, California.

The secluded estate is about 25 miles (40km) south of San Francisco.

You can watch the Chinese and US delegations meet by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.

BBC Monitoring

The number of state media commentaries on the summit is an indication that China is taking this seriously, with five consecutive pieces in state-owned Xinhua, alongside prominent articles in People's Daily, China Daily and the Global Times.

All have heralded the importance of the meeting.

Most pieces struck an upbeat tone, at least in part, with particular emphasis on certain areas of “positive energy”.

But many areas of disagreement remain.

While they may be couched in bland diplomatic language, a closer examination of one of the five Xinhua commentaries reveals how in each of these there is dissatisfaction with the US.

One section on "mutual respect", for example, describes how Beijing believes the US does not respect it and instead wants to change China to be more like itself.

The commentary says China wants to be treated "as an equal".

Another section about "peaceful coexistence" is a strong message for the US to stay away from Taiwan.

The article says that "expansion, coercion, and hegemony are not in China’s genes".

All three are adjectives Beijing has used to characterise Washington's track record.

The biggest obstacle to peace, it says, is the "Cold War mentality" of the US.

James Clayton
Reporting from San Francisco

The protesters have a collection of political goals.

There are anti-capitalists, pro-Palestinian demonstrators, climate change activists.

Together they want to shut APEC down.

They’re trying to hold a section of San Francisco and also stop delegates from getting by.

We saw several people in business dress being turned away. One woman we saw was shoved as protesters gathered around her – an encounter that must have been scary.

Authorities here knew there would be protests, but have hoped that the protesters wouldn’t target delegates.