The US-China summit ended here at a sprawling mansion, where Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping agreed to work to ensure differences between the two countries remain manageable and relations do not derail.
Biden and Xi met in person for the first time in more than a year, spending more than four hours together at the Filoli estate in Woodside, about 25 miles (40 km) south of San Francisco, in various settings, including an extensive bilateral, lunch and a walk in the garden of the country house.
Sitting at a long table, together with their respective delegations, the two leaders underlined, facing each other, that it was in the interest of the two countries to avoid confrontation and focus instead on cooperation.
Senior officials said the discussions were open, frank and forthright. Biden was able to convey his views and concerns directly to Xi, who is believed to have responded with his own arguments.
The meeting allowed the two leaders to discuss a wide range of issues including bilateral ties, regional and key global issues such as Iran, the Middle East, Ukraine, Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, economic issues, artificial intelligence, drugs and climate change. .
After the meeting, China agreed to take action against companies involved in illegal drug trafficking in the US, a senior government official said.
The two leaders also agreed on resuming talks at the military level, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart taking the lead, while the PACIFIC commander is engaged at the operational level with his counterparts in China, he said .
Finally, the two countries also agreed to make deals on the issue of artificial intelligence, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity shortly after the talks ended.
President Xi made clear that he wanted to stabilize relations with the United States, the official said, adding that Biden was very direct with Xi and told him that China was not providing a level playing field for U.S. companies.
Xi also raised his own concerns, claiming that reporting on the Communist Party of China in the US was unfair, while strongly denying reports that China was moving to invade Taiwan.
The two leaders had a substantive discussion over Taiwan, with Xi citing it as the most dangerous aspect of the US-China relationship.
While Biden said the US believes in the status quo, Xi said peace is good but at some point they must move towards solutions to the issue.
Biden and Xi also discussed the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine. The American president talked about China interfering with Iran in the Middle East.
The meeting was held at the picturesque Filoli Estate – a country house set in 16 hectares of formal gardens, surrounded by a 654 hectare estate. Located in Woodside, California, about 25 miles south of San Francisco, it has hosted several high-profile weddings and is a favorite location for the film industry.
According to the senior official, Biden conveyed his wishes to Xi’s wife on her birthday next week. The Chinese president thanked his American counterpart for the reminder, saying he was so busy with work that he had forgotten.
The US delegation led by Biden numbered about ten to eleven senior officials and the composition of the Chinese delegation was more or less the same. According to the senior administration official, the Biden-Xi meeting cannot be described as G2 because it was a strategic calibration.
According to the official, the Chinese are beginning to realize that there is an undeniable competitive aspect to this relationship.
Earlier, Xi, who attended the APEC Leadership Summit at Biden’s invitation, said that planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed, and that the success of one country is an opportunity for the other.
The Chinese President said in his remarks: It is unrealistic for one party to reform the other party. Conflicts and confrontations have unbearable consequences for both parties. I still believe that competition among major countries is not the prevailing trend of the current era and cannot solve the problems facing China and the United States.
It is an objective fact that China and the United States are different in history, culture, social system and development trajectory. But as long as they respect each other, pursue coexistence peace and pursue successful cooperation, they will be fully able to rise above the differences and find the right way for the two great countries to get along, Xi said.
Xi noted that a lot has happened since they last met in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in November 2022. Since then, the world has emerged from the Covid pandemic but is still under the enormous impact. The global economy is recovering, but momentum remains weak. Industrial and supply chains continue to be threatened by disruptions and protectionism is on the rise. These are all serious problems, he said.
The China-US relationship, the most important bilateral relationship in the world, must be seen and imagined in the broad context of the accelerating global transformations we have seen over the past century.
It should develop in a way that benefits two peoples and fulfills our responsibility for human progress, Xi said.
Meanwhile, in his welcome speech at the start of the bilateral meeting, Biden said: We must ensure that competition does not lead to conflict and we must also handle it responsibly.
That is what the United States wants and what we intend to do. I also believe it is a world that desires frank exchange for both of us. We also have a responsibility to our people and the world to work together when we believe it is in our best interests. The critical global challenges we face, from climate change to narcotics and artificial intelligence, require our collective efforts, he said.
Welcoming Xi to the US, Biden said key members of the two governments had held important discussions on issues of importance to both the nations and the world since their last meeting in Bali on the sidelines of the G20.
But as always, there is no substitute for face-to-face conversations. I have always found our discussions simple and open, and I have always appreciated them, Biden said.
Biden noted that he has known Xi for a long time and said they did not always see eye to eye, which was not surprising to anyone.
But our meetings have always been candid, clear and useful. I have never doubted what you have told me in terms of your candid nature in what you say. “I appreciate our conversation because I think it is of utmost importance that you and I understand each other clearly, from leader to leader, without misunderstandings or miscommunication,” he said.
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