Joe Biden reaffirms stance on Taiwan in meeting with Xi Jinping

American president says two sides ‘made some important progress’ after first direct meeting with Chinese leader in a year

‘My responsibility is to make this rational and manageable so it doesn’t result in conflict’

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Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden walk in the gardens at the Filoli Estate in Woodside, California, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:57am, 16 Nov 2023Updated: 1:29am, 17 Nov 2023

The US and China agreed to cooperate in fighting fentanyl and other narcotics, engage in managing artificial intelligence, resume military-to-military contacts and maintain the status quo on Taiwan, US President Joe Biden told reporters after his first direct talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a year.

“What I’ve said since I’ve become president, what every previous president of late has said, that we maintain the agreement that there is a one-China policy and that I’m not going to change that,” Biden said. “And so that’s about the extent to which we discussed it.”

Biden added that “important progress” was made in the fight against fentanyl and the flow of ingredients used to make them, known as precursors.

“We’re taking action to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals and pill presses from China to the western hemisphere. It’s going to save lives and I appreciate President Xi’s commitment on this issue,” he said.

He also touted steps to check the risk that jetfighters and warships from the two nations could get into an accident around the increasingly crowded South China Sea.

“This is critically important. We’re resuming military-to-military contact, direct contacts,” Biden said. “Vital miscalculations on either side can cause real trouble with a country like China, or any other major country.”