Biden, Xi strike friendly tone in virtual summit
President Biden and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, held a virtual summit as the United States seeks to engage in what the administration calls “intense competition” with Beijing while preventing serious conflict.
Biden, seated in the Roosevelt Room at the White House before two large screens, opened the discussion, noting that the two have “spent an awful lot of time talking to each other” over the years, dating to when Biden was vice president and Xi was a rising power.
“We need to establish some common-sense guardrails,” Mr. Biden said, using a phrase his administration has often cited as a goal for a challenging relationship. He added: “We have a responsibility to the world as well as to our people.”
Xi, speaking next from a chamber in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, also struck a conciliatory tone, especially compared to a series of acerbic statements by Chinese officials over the course of the year.
He called Biden “my old friend” and said the two countries should work together.
China’s state television network reported that Xi “expressed his readiness to work with President Biden to build consensus and take active steps to move China-U.S. relations forward in a positive direction.” He also called for mutual respect, an implicit criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of relations.
The talks ended after nearly four hours, according to the Chinese state television network, C.C.T.V.
In advance of the meeting, a U.S. administration official said that Biden would emphasize the need to keep “communication lines open” as the two countries confront disagreements over issues like the future of Taiwan, the militarization of the South China Sea and cybersecurity.
The official said Biden planned to address several points of disagreement, including China’s human rights abuses, America’s commitment to defending Taiwan, China’s support of its state-based industries and its policies regarding cybertechnologies.
There was no plan for the meeting to end with a joint statement or an announcement of new agreements. Instead, the official said, it was intended to foster a dialogue that could prevent rising tensions from spilling into open conflict.
Biden has repeatedly suggested that it should be possible to avoid active military engagement with China, even as the United States engages in vigorous competition with Beijing and continues to confront the Chinese leadership on several significant issues.
But the call, which was initiated at Mr. Biden’s request, reflects his administration’s deep concern that the chances of keeping conflict at bay may be diminishing.