Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping shook hands Wednesday in California to kick off the long-awaited meeting to calm tensions between the United States and China.
A year after the last face-to-face, a smiling Biden greeted Xi after the Chinese leader stepped out of a black limousine at the opulent Filoli Garden in California, less than 50 km from San Francisco.
"It's a pleasure to see each other again, there's nothing that can replace face-to-face discussions. It is essential that you and I understand each other clearly, we must make sure that competition does not lead to conflict," Biden said as he opened the summit with Xi Jinping.
The U.S. president recalled that "our meetings have always been frank, direct and useful."
"Planet Earth is big enough for both countries to succeed. The success of one is an opportunity for the other," he told television cameras before beginning his meeting with Biden.
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