(VOVWORLD) - US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had their first in-person meeting on Monday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
Xi said that, as the two largest world powers, China and the US need to develop an appropriate roadmap to improving their relations.
According to a White House readout, the two leaders discussed priorities and intentions across a range of issues.
Biden said the US will continue to strongly compete with China but insisted that the competition not be turned into conflict and said both must manage their differences responsibly by restoring channels of communication. In addition, they must work together to address transnational challenges like climate change, macroeconomic instability, debt relief, public health, and food insecurity.
The two presidents welcomed efforts to address specific issues in Sino-American relations and agreed that progress could be achieved through existing mechanisms like joint working groups. They exchanged views on major challenges, such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the situation on the Korean peninsula.
The meeting between Biden and Xi took place on the eve of the G20 Summit. Since President Biden took office last year, he and President Xi have shared five phone calls or online meetings. This is the first face-to-face meeting between the presidents of China and the US since Xi met Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan in 2019.