Biden hosts Chinese foreign minister at White House

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the White House Friday for talks intended to manage badly strained US-Sino relations.

During their closed-door discussion, Biden "emphasized that both the United States and China need to manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication. He underscored that the United States and China must work together to address global challenges."

"President Biden expressed his condolences on the passing of former Premier Li Keqiang," the White House said in a statement, referring to Li’s dying of a sudden heart attack on Friday, according to state media.

Besides strained bilateral ties and regional disputes, the visit comes at a fraught time for the world, with fierce conflicts raging in both Ukraine and the Middle East, and China and the US often finding themselves on opposite sides over what form any eventual peace should take.