Biden and Xi Jinping meet to discuss armed forces, artificial intelligence, fentanyl, and Taiwan

Chinese official media reported today that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed to restore high-level contacts between the two countries’ armed forces during their summit in California yesterday.

China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that the two leaders “agreed yesterday, Wednesday, to resume high-level contacts (between the military) on the basis of equality and respect.”

to US sanctions

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has warned President Biden that US sanctions and other measures against Chinese companies are hurting Beijing’s “legitimate interests.”

Mr. Xi told Biden during their lengthy meeting in California that “US measures against China on export and investment controls” as well as “unilateral sanctions” harm China’s “serious legitimate interests.” China’s official news agency.

Talks about artificial intelligence

The leaders of China and the United States have agreed to hold government-to-government talks on artificial intelligence.

China’s official Xinhua news agency reported that the two presidents agreed “that the Chinese and American governments will hold talks on artificial intelligence.”

“Credible” measures to eliminate fentanyl trafficking

China has agreed to take “a number of credible measures to significantly reduce” fentanyl production and trafficking, a US official said after Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in California on Wednesday.

Last month, Washington announced sanctions on a Chinese network it says is involved in the production of powerful synthetic opioids, which are responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States every year.

For Taiwan

Biden called on his Chinese counterpart to “respect the electoral process” in Taiwan. “We have asked the Chinese to respect the electoral process in Taiwan,” the official said, expressing Washington’s “determination” to ensure “peace and stability” on the island.

For his part, Chinese President Joe Biden called for “stop arming Taiwan,” stressing that reunification is “inevitable,” according to Chinese diplomacy.

“They should translate their stance against Taiwan independence into concrete actions, stop arming Taiwan and support China’s peaceful reunification,” Xi said, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry press release. China’s reunification will become a reality, it is inevitable.

Live chats

The US President expressed his satisfaction at being able to speak with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, “directly” and “immediately” in the event of a crisis, after their summit in California.

He confirmed during a press conference that the two leaders agreed to “keep communication channels open, including (Benny) and President Xi.” “He and I agreed that any one of us could pick up the phone and call directly and be heard immediately,” Biden added.

Biden still considers Xi Jinping a “dictator.”

Joe Biden, after meeting with Xi Jinping in California, said during a press conference that he still always considered the latter a “dictator,” repeating the characterization that sparked anger and a violent reaction from Beijing.

The US President said: “He is a dictator in the sense that he rules a country, a communist country, where the form of government is completely different from our system.”

However, he described the talks as “constructive and fruitful,” referring to the agreement to restore high-level military contacts between the two major powers and China’s military participation in the fight against fentanyl.

“I have completed several hours of talks with President Xi and consider them to be the most constructive and productive among us,” he said.

Biden is modestly optimistic about the release of Hamas hostages

Joe Biden said he was “fairly optimistic” about the release of some 240 hostages held by Hamas, adding that he had asked Israel to be “very careful” in operations at Gaza’s largest hospital.

Biden said during a press conference held hours after talks with his Chinese counterpart: “I do not want to expand because I do not know what happened in the past few hours, but we have broad cooperation from the Qatari side.” His counterpart Xi Jinping in California.