Biden-Xi meet: US President calls for collaboration with China on vital global issues

Emphasising that the US and China need to establish some common-sense guardrails, US President Joe Biden stressed for collaboration "especially on vital global issues like climate change."

"We have a responsibility to the world as well as to our people," Biden said during his virtual meeting with Xi Jinping on Monday (local time).

Biden, seated at the head of the table with top officials around, opened the virtual meeting noting that both have "spent an awful lot of time talking to each other" over the years, and "maybe I should start more formally even though you and I have never been that formal."

Biden said that he was looking forward to a "candid and forthright discussion" with Xi, which he said will include how to ensure "simple, straightforward competition" between the two countries.

Human rights, economy, ensuring a free and fair Indo-Pacific are Biden's agenda for the meeting.

Underlining that the two leaders have "always communicated with one another very honestly and candidly", Biden said, "We never walk away wondering what the other man is thinking."

Concluding his introductory remarks, Biden thanked Xi for his congratulatory call after POTUS won the 2020 presidential election, a call he said was "very gracious".

This is the first meeting between the two leaders since Biden has assumed office. Although both have spoken twice over the phone so far.

(ANI)

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