US President Joe Biden told his Chinese counterpart Ji Xinping on Monday that he is seeking a conversation. "honest and direct" with him at the beginning of the virtual meeting between the two.
Biden assured that this dialogue should include how to ensure "simple and direct competition" between Washington and Beijing.
"We need to set some common sense guardrails"Biden said, according to the pool of White House journalists who witnessed the start of the meeting.
The US president also alluded to the long relationship he has had with Xi as leaders of the two main world powers: "We have always communicated honestly and frankly. We have never been wondering what the other is thinking".
After this first intervention by Biden, Xi assured "be happy to see an old friend" and stated that the United States and China should "increase your cooperation and collaboration".
Today is the first formal meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in January this year and comes in a climate of growing geostrategic tensions between the two countries.
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