Biden and Xi Reach Agreements on Fentanyl and Military Communications
President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agree to resume military talks and combat the fentanyl trade during a four-hour meeting in California. The talks mark the first face-to-face discussion between the two leaders in a year.
President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in California for the first time in a year, reaching new agreements on military communications and counternarcotics. The four-hour talks take place just ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, bringing together the leaders of the world's two largest economies amid rising tensions.
Biden announces that both countries agree to significantly reduce the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill presses from China to the Western Hemisphere. He notes that this understanding on the counternarcotics issue is a critical step that will save lives, and he expresses appreciation for Xi's commitment to tackling the crisis.
The leaders also agree to resume direct military-to-military contact, which Beijing halted in August 2022 following Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Biden describes the renewed dialogue as open and clear, emphasizing that while the two nations do not always agree, their discussions remain candid and straightforward.