U.S. President Joe Biden said at a meeting with China’s leader Xi Jinping on the Indonesian island of Bali that the rivalry between the United States and China should not escalate into a conflict and stressed the need to develop special guidelines, the White House press office reported on Monday.
"The two leaders spoke candidly about their respective priorities and intentions across a range of issues. President Biden explained that the United States will continue to compete vigorously with the PRC, including by investing in sources of strength at home and aligning efforts with allies and partners around the world. He reiterated that this competition should not veer into conflict," says the statement released after the two leaders’ meeting.
The US president also underscored that the United States and China should maintain "open lines of communication."
Biden also said that the two leaders tasked their teams to develop guidelines that "would advance these goals," the press office reported.
The US and Chinese leaders held their Bali meeting in the run-up to the G20 summit. As China’s central television reported, the meeting lasted over three hours and a half.
