Biden and Xi agree to restore military ties, but disagree on Taiwan.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to restore military communications during their first summit in a year.

Biden dismissed the prearranged script, saying he still considers Xi Jinping a "dictator." The leaders shook hands and strolled through the garden of an old estate in California during four hours of talks aimed at preventing rising tensions between the world's biggest economies from escalating into armed conflict. They also agreed that China would crack down on the production of ingredients for the drug fentanyl, responsible for the deadly opioid abuse epidemic in the United States. However, Xi Jinping and''Biden remains far apart in opinion on Taiwan, with the Chinese president urging his American counterpart to stop arming the island, saying unification "cannot be stopped". China claims sovereignty over the autonomous democracy and has not ruled out taking it by force.

This was the first meeting between the two leaders since their talks in Bali in November 2022, and relations soured after the US shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon in February this year. But Biden told a news conference at Filoli Manor in California that his meeting with Xi Jinping, whom he has known since 2011, was "some of the most constructive and productive discussions we've had." "We will compete with''China "vigorously" but "responsibly" to ensure there are no conflicts or accidental clashes," he added. "He and I have agreed that each of us can pick up the phone, call directly and we will be heard immediately," Biden said. Restoring the high level of military communications between the U.S. and China, which China cut off after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in 2022, was "critical" to prevent possible conflicts, he added. The two sides also agreed to hold talks on artificial intelligence and deepen cooperation on climate change ahead of the COP 28 conference in Dubai next month.

The last day is thoroughly''delegations seated on either side of the huge table, and finally Biden and Xi walking around the garden. They also shared a working lunch of herbed ricotta ragu and chicken breast with golden pilau rice.

Russia, China's partner in the burgeoning authoritarian alliance, welcomed the meeting, with the Kremlin calling the talks "important for everyone." At the end of the summit, Biden and Xi's choice of tasks in shows where their priorities for "responsible competition" lie. Biden delivered the opening remarks at a reception at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, a key sphere of influence for the United States. Meanwhile, Xi, whose country is struggling to restore economic growth after the COVID pandemic, hosted a dinner with U.S.''executives.