At the start of his much-anticipated meeting with Xi Jinping in California on Wednesday, Joe Biden said the two leaders must “make sure that the rivalry does not escalate into conflict” between the two countries, while his counterpart also signaled a willingness to engage. in dialogue, reports AFP.

“Two big countries like the United States and China cannot turn their backs on each other,” said the Chinese president, whose words were translated into English, adding that “conflict and confrontation have unbearable consequences for everyone.”

China opposes the US proposal on APEC policy

China opposes US members of the Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) including sustainability and inclusiveness in their trade and investment policies, a source familiar with the talks said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

The APEC summit in San Francisco was holding talks on the issue to try to find language that the group’s 21 member states could agree on, the source said.

U.S. Trade Representative Catherine Tye told a plenary session on trade that she hoped the proposal, which the Biden administration called the “San Francisco Principles for Inclusion and Sustainability in Trade and Investment Policy,” could be finalized soon.

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On the same topic: What to expect from Biden’s meeting with Xi Jinping in San Francisco