During the meeting,Biden also raised concerns about China’s “non-market economic practices”,which he said harm American workers and families. He also called for the release American citizens who are wrongfully detained in China.
Biden told reporters he and Xi had been “very blunt” at times in their meeting,which he also described as “open and candid”.
He said his goal was to responsibly manage competition with China and to ensure all nations abide by the “rules of the road”.
The White House announced Secretary of State Antony Blinken would soon travel to China for meetings in another sign the US-China diplomatic relationship was beginning to improve.
In his opening remarks at the meeting Xi told Biden:“The world has come to a crossroads.
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“Where to go from here? This is a question that is not only on our mind but also on the mind of all countries. The world expects that China and the United States will properly handle the relationship.”
Noting their meeting had “attracted the world’s attention”,Xi said the US and China needed to “properly handle” their relationship for the sake of the global community.
“I am ready to have a candid and in-depth exchange of views with you on issues with strategic importance for China and US and major global issues,” Xi said.
“I am also looking forward to bringing China-US relation back to the track of healthy and stable development to benefit our two countries and the world.”
Xi’s last in-person meeting with a US president was with Donald Trump in June 2019 in Osaka,Japan.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before the meeting.Credit:AP
Biden has not only retained Trump’s trade tariffs on Chinese goods,but gone further by implementing new limits on the sale of semiconductor technology to China,a move aimed at crippling Beijing’s access to vital technologies.
US officials have also warned that China is accelerating plans to invade Taiwan,with Biden vowing several times to defend the self-governing island if Beijing tries to take it over.
In his opening remarks at the meeting Biden told Xi that “it’s just great to see you”,adding there was no diplomatic substitute for “face-to-face discussions”.
Biden said the world expected the US and China to work together to tackle challenges ranging from climate change to food security.
Joe Biden listens during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit.Credit:AP
“I’m committed to keeping the lines of communications open between you and me personally,but also our government’s across the board because our two countries have so much that we have an opportunity to deal with,” he said.
“As the leaders of our two nations,we share responsibility,in my view,to show that China and the United States can manage our differences,prevent competition from becoming anything ever to near conflict,and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation.”