On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced that his administration has secured agreements with China to resume military communications and address the issue of fentanyl production. This development follows his first face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a year.
Biden, in a press conference, characterized the talks as "some of the most constructive and productive discussions we've had." Both leaders acknowledged the competitive nature of their relationship but underscored areas where cooperation could prevent conflicts.
Xi stated, "I'm still of the view that major country competition is not the prevailing trend of current times and cannot solve the problems facing China and the United States or the world at large." He emphasized the abundant space for both countries to succeed, viewing one country's success as an opportunity for the other.
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, the leaders spent several hours together, participating in various events such as a welcome ceremony, expanded bilateral discussions, lunch, and a property walk, yielding tangible results.
Biden emphasized the importance of restarting military-to-military contact to prevent "accidents" and "misunderstandings," particularly in light of increased tensions following the U.S. shooting down a Chinese spy balloon in February.
In addition to military communication, Biden announced an agreement with China to curb fentanyl production, aiming to reduce the flow of precursor chemicals and pill presses from China to the Western Hemisphere. He expressed appreciation for President Xi's commitment, emphasizing the potential to save lives.
Furthermore, the State Department disclosed a joint commitment by the U.S. and China to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030.
The leaders discussed various global issues, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war. Biden expressed his belief in a two-state solution for the Israel-Hamas conflict, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits while reaffirming support for the "One China" policy.
Despite making progress on certain topics, Biden raised concerns about China's human rights and tensions in the South China Sea with the Philippines. However, he maintained an optimistic view of future relations with China, expressing a commitment to high-level diplomacy and keeping lines of communication open.
"In the months ahead, we're going to continue to preserve and pursue high-level diplomacy with the [People's Republic of China] in both directions to keep the lines of communication open, including between President Xi and me," Biden said. "He and I agreed that each one of us could pick up the phone, call directly, and be heard immediately."