WASHINGTON – The White House said on Monday that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss strengthening communication and managing competition when they meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday.

Mr Biden believes there is no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy to manage this complex relationship, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

“We anticipate that the leaders will discuss some of the most fundamental elements of the US-PRC bilateral relationship, including the continued importance of strengthening open lines of communication and managing competition responsibly so that it does not veer into conflict,” Mr Sullivan told reporters, using the initials of the People’s Republic of China.

“The way we achieve that is through intense diplomacy. That’s how we clear up misperceptions and avoid surprises,” he said, adding that Mr Biden “comes into this summit on a solid footing”.

Mr Sullivan also said the US is looking for specific outcomes from the meeting on Wednesday, he said.

The two presidents will meet face to face for the first time in a year, with the high-stakes diplomacy aimed at curbing tensions between the world’s two superpowers.

The meeting is also expected to cover global issues from the Israel-Hamas war to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea’s ties with Russia, Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, human rights, fentanyl, artificial intelligence, as well as “fair” trade and economic relations, senior Biden administration officials said. REUTERS