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High-stakes talks underway between Biden and Xi
US President Joe Biden has met Chinese President Xi JinPing in a virtual summit
The two leaders reportedly discussed ‘guardrails’ to prevent US-China ‘conflict’.
President Xi has told President Biden that both must improve ‘communication’.
Xi, who dialed in from Beijing called Biden an “old friend” but conceded that the rivals must work closer together.
The two leaders have spoken twice by phone since President Biden’s inauguration in January.
But with Xi refusing to travel abroad because of the pandemic, an online video meeting was the only option short of an in-person summit.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the summit is expected to last a couple of hours.
It comes on the back of the AUKUS security alliance, between the US, UK and Australia to contain China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
China’s Foreign Ministry lashed out at the security partnership, saying the pact is a threat to regional stability.