Biden, Xi speak for 1st time in seven months

WASHINGTON/BEIJING: US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke for 90 minutes on Thursday, in their first talks in seven months, discussing the need to ensure that competition between the world’s two largest economies does not veer into conflict.

In a statement, the White House said Biden and Xi had “a broad, strategic discussion”, including areas where interests and values converge and diverge. The conversation focused on economic issues, climate change and Covid-19, a senior US official told reporters.

“President Biden underscored the United States’ enduring interest in peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-pacific and the world and the two leaders discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict,” the White House said.

The US, Biden reportedly said, looked forward to strengthening communication and cooperation with China on the climate crisis and other important issues.

Earlier in the day, Chinabased Xinhua news agency reported that the two leaders held “candid, in-depth and broad strategic communication and exchanges” on bilateral ties.

Chinese state media said Xi told Biden that US policy on China imposed “serious difficulties” on relations. “China and the United States should ... show strategic courage and insight, and political boldness, and push Sino-us relations back to the right track of stable development as soon as possible,” state media said, citing Xi.