Biden says goal of Xi meeting is to resume US-China military communications
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday his goal during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week is to resume normal communications between the two superpowers, including military-to-military contacts.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for San Francisco, Biden said he is trying to alter the U.S. relationship with China for the better, after a period of strained ties.
Biden and Xi are to meet on Wednesday in the San Francisco area during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It 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 at the talks with Xi, Biden said:
“To get back on a normal course, corresponding and being able to pick up the phone and talk to one another in a crisis, and being able to make sure that our militaries still have contact with one another.”