Both leaders reaffirmed their willingness to work together and reduce the tensions that have brought the bilateral relationship between their countries to one of its lowest points. Biden expressed his desire to keep the lines of communication between China and the United States open due to the responsibility shared by the two powers.

"Our two nations share a responsibility to manage their differences, we must prevent competition from escalating into something akin to conflict. We must find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our cooperation," the U.S. president said.

Xi expressed his joy at seeing Biden, with whom he established a close relationship when both were vice presidents. The Chinese leader also considered that there is no "substitution for face-to-face meetings", even though they have held five virtual conversations since January 2021.

"The world is at a crossroads. Where do we go from here? This is a question that is not only on our minds, but on every country's mind. The world expects China and the United States to properly handle their relationship," Xi pointed out.

The Chinese President also expressed his desire to have a frank and in-depth conversation on issues of strategic importance to the U.S.-China relationship.

The Xi-Biden meeting occurs amid a moment of tension due to the differences between their countries regarding the war in Ukraine, the Taiwan Strait crisis, and the restrictions imposed by Washington on the export of semiconductor production equipment to China.

The last time both leaders saw each other in person was in January 2017, when they both met at the World Economic Forum in Davos.