Biden, Xi to ease tensions with online talks

Leaders of the United States and China have come together to work on bridging a widening gap between the two nations.

Their first online summit comes amid growing tensions as the two leaders remain far apart on issues ranging from the economy to human rights.

But both US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are prepared to cooperate on some of the contending issues.

Biden said, “Our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States, is to ensure that our competition between our countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended — just simple and straightforward competition.”

Xi said, “The world is facing many challenges. As the world’s two largest economies, and as permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the United States need to increase communication and cooperation.”

Biden also brought up several key areas of concern for Washington. He’s previously criticized China’s actions to crush democratic protests in Hong Kong and intimidate Taiwan. And he said during the talks that he wanted human rights and ensuring a free Indo-Pacific on the table.

Xi had other priorities. He called for respectful relations where the two superpowers can peacefully coexist. His administration has often lashed out at the US for interfering in what it calls its “internal affairs.”

Both leaders touched on economics and they pledged to work together on climate change. During last week’s UN climate talks, US and Chinese officials agreed to cooperate on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.