WOODSIDE, Calif. (AP) \u2014 U.S. President Joe Biden and China\u2019s Xi Jinping emerged Wednesday from their first face-to-face meeting in a year vowing to stabilize their fraught relationship and showcasing modest agreements to combat illegal fentanyl and re-establish military communications. But there were still deep differences on economic competition and global security threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most assuring takeaway from the meeting for Biden was that if either man had a concern, \u201cwe should pick up the phone and call one another and we\u2019ll take the call. That\u2019s important progress,\u201d he said in a news conference following the talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two leaders spent four hours together at a bucolic Northern California estate \u2013 in meetings, a working lunch and a garden stroll \u2013 intent on showing the world that while they are global economic competitors they\u2019re not locked in a winner-take-all faceoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlanet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed,\u201d Xi told Biden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. president told Xi: \u201cI think it\u2019s paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader-to-leader, with no misconceptions or miscommunications. We have to ensure competition does not veer into conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their meeting, on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, has far-reaching implications for a world grappling with economic cross currents<\/a>, conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, tensions in Taiwan and more<\/p>\n\n\n\n They reached expected agreements to curb illicit fentanyl production and to reopen military ties, Biden said. Many of the chemicals used to make synthetic fentanyl come from China to cartels that traffic the powerful narcotic into the U.S., which is facing an overdose crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Top military leaders will resume talks, Biden said, an increasingly important move particularly as unsafe or unprofessional incidents<\/a> between the two nations\u2019 ships and aircraft have spiked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, the agreements rely on trust between the two leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know the man I know his modus operandi,\u201d Biden said of Xi. \u201cWe have disagreements but he\u2019s been straight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But he still said Xi was a dictator … \u201cin a sense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two leaders had a significant back and forth over Taiwan, with Biden chiding China over its massive military build-up around Taiwan and Xi telling Biden he had no plans to invade the island, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail the private talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden, the official said, declared the U.S. was committed to continuing to help Taiwan defend itself and maintain deterrence against a potential Chinese attack, and also called on China to avoid meddling in the island\u2019s elections next year. The official described the Taiwan portion of the talks as \u201cclear-headed\u201d and \u201cnot heated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden also called on Xi to use his influence with Iran to make clear that Tehran, and its proxies, should not take steps that would lead to an expansion of the Israel-Hamas war. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has assured the U.S. that the Chinese have communicated concerns to Iran on the matter. But the official said the U.S. has not been able to ascertain how seriously the Iranians are taking concerns raised by Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a statement released by China Central Television, the state broadcaster, Xi was most focused on Taiwan and the U.S. sanctions and restrictions against Chinese products and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xi urged the U.S. to support China\u2019s peaceful unification with the self-governed island, calling Taiwan \u201cthe most important and most sensitive issue\u201d in the bilateral relations. He also raised Beijing\u2019s concerns over export controls, investment screenings, and sanctions imposed by the U.S., which he said \u201chave severely harmed China\u2019s legitimate interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, \u201cWe hope the U.S. side can seriously treat China\u2019s concerns and take actions to remove unilateral sanctions and provide a fair, just, non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xi said he and Biden also agreed to establish dialogues on artificial intelligence and stressed the urgency for the two countries to cope with the climate crisis, the state broadcaster reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both leaders acknowledged the importance of their relationship and the need for better coordination. But their differences shone through: Xi indicated he wants better cooperation \u2014 but on China\u2019s terms. And he sought to project strength to his domestic audience in the face of U.S. policies restricting imports from China and limiting technology transfers to Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden, meanwhile, will also spend time this week in California working to highlight new alliances in the Indo Pacific and efforts to boost trade with other regional leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They sought to build back to a stable baseline after already tense relations took a nosedive following the U.S. downing of a Chinese spy balloon<\/a> that had traversed the continental U.S., and amid differences over the self-ruled island of Taiwan<\/a>, China\u2019s hacking of a Biden official\u2019s emails and other matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Biden, Wednesday\u2019s meeting was a chance for the president to do what he believes he does best: in-person diplomacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs always, there\u2019s no substitute for face-to-face discussions,\u201d he told Xi. With his characteristic optimism, Biden sketched a vision of leaders who manage competition \u201cresponsibly,\u201d adding, \u201cthat\u2019s what the United States wants and what we intend to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xi, for his part, was gloomy about the state of the post-pandemic global economy. China\u2019s economy remains in the doldrums, with prices falling due to slack demand from consumers and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe global economy is recovering, but its momentum remains sluggish,\u201d Xi said. \u201cIndustrial and supply chains are still under the threat of interruption and protectionism is rising. All these are grave problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n