The recent summit in the U.S. between President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was their first meeting in a year. The shared understanding they expressed on the need to avoid conflict is laudable, but the details on how to achieve this were minimal and vague. The two countries should continue to increase dialogue at all levels while reining in confrontation in the areas of security and economics.
In their meeting, Biden stressed that it is "paramount" that there be "no misconceptions or miscommunication." It is clear that he is most concerned about accidental clashes. Xi, meanwhile, emphasized that coexistence is possible, saying, "Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed." But it also appears that he wants China to develop on its own and not necessarily in cooperation with the U.S.
