Biden says the goal of the meeting with Xi is to restore US-China military communication

(Patria) - United States President Joe Biden said his goal during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping is to restore normal communication between the two superpowers, including military contacts, Reuters reported.

Addressing reporters at the White House before leaving for San Francisco, Biden said he is trying to improve US-China relations after a period of strained ties.
Biden and Xi will meet today during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This will be only the second in-person meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in January 2021.

Asked how he would measure success in negotiations with Xi, Biden said: "To get back to normal course, correspondence and the ability to pick up the phone and talk to each other in a crisis, and to be able to ensure that our militaries continue to have contact with each other."

On Air Force One en route to San Francisco, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Biden and Xi will also discuss the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as US efforts to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, adding that Biden "will not shy away from confronting where confrontation is needed on certain issues," but will seek areas for cooperation, such as climate change.

Economic issues are high on the agenda. Biden said the United States does not want to decouple from China, but wants to improve economic relations. He said it would benefit everyone if the average Chinese citizen had a decent paying job.

"But I am not going to continue to support a position where, in order to invest in China, we have to give away all our business secrets."

The Chinese suspended military contacts with Washington after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022. Restoring contacts is a key US goal to avoid miscalculations between the two militaries.

Relations between the two countries turned cold after Biden ordered the downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States in February. However, top officials of the Biden administration have since visited Beijing and met with their counterparts to restore communication and trust.