MNI BRIEF: U.S., China Leaders Hold Candid Talks On Policies

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. counterpart Joe Biden spoke on the phone for a candid, in-depth and extensive strategic communication on Sino-U.S. relations and issues of mutual concern, state media Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.

This is the second call between the two leaders after one in February after Biden took the stage.

The two sides can continue to engage in dialogue and promote cooperation on climate change, epidemic control, economic recovery and major international and regional issues, based on respecting each other's core concerns and properly managing differences, Xinhua cited Xi as saying.

While Biden said the U.S. has never intended to change the one-China policy and is willing to conduct more frank and constructive dialogue with China to determine the focus and priority for cooperation, avoid misjudgments and unexpected conflicts, and push the bilateral relations back on track, according to Xinhua. The two sides are nearing the end of a Phase 1 trade deal this year negotiated by the Trump administration with no word so far on the scope for a Phase 2 leg.

Both sides agreed to keep maintaining regular contact and will instruct the working levels to step up their work and conduct extensive dialogues, so to create conditions for the development of Sino-U.S. relations, according to Xinhua.

A White House statement said it was a broad discussion on areas where the countries' interests diverge and converge.

"President Biden underscored the United States' enduring interest in peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the world and the two leaders discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict," the White House statement said.