Handshakes, Fentanyl, and AI: Key takeaways from Biden- Xi summit

On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, Xi and Biden agreed to resume military-to-military communication and counter-narcotics cooperation

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping said turning their backs on each other was "not an option" at a summit in California. The two nations agreed to resume military-to-military communication, counter-narcotics cooperation, and talks on artificial intelligence (AI). The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.

The first meeting in over a year was held at the Filoli Estate, about 40 km south of San Francisco. The estate is best known as the setting of the 1980s soap opera "Dynasty. "

Biden and XI had not met in person since they held talks in Bali in November 2022, and relations turned frosty after the United States shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February this year.

Here are the key takeaways from the summit: 

Restoration of military-to-military communications

Biden and Xi agreed to restore military-to-military communications in a bid to ease mounting hostilities.

"We're back to direct, open, clear communications," Biden said following the meeting. He added that a lack of communication is "how accidents happen," and both presidents could now "pick up the phone and be directly heard immediately. "

China cut off military-to-military communications after then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022. But Xi and Biden remained far apart on the hot topic of Taiwan, with the Chinese premier telling his US counterpart to stop arming the island and saying that reunification was "unstoppable".

Tackling the production of fentanyl

The two sides also announced steps to tackle the production of ingredients for the drug fentanyl and its flow into the US. Fentanyl has contributed to a deadly epidemic of opioid abuse in the United States. "We're taking action to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals and pill presses from China to the Western Hemisphere," Biden said. "It will save lives." 

Where it's possible, where our interests coincide, we're going to work together like we did on fentanyl. That's what the world expects of us, Biden said. Officials stated that China will directly target companies that are making precursor chemicals for the production of fentanyl.

The two countries also agreed to hold talks on artificial intelligence (AI).

Well, look, he is (a dictator): Biden

Biden said he had not changed his view that Xi was effectively a "dictator" hours after they met for the first time in more than a year. The comment will likely raise Beijing's hackles after the two leaders held straightforward summit talks after months of preparation. After four hours of talks with Xi, Biden held a solo news conference on the outskirts of San Francisco.

Well, look, he is (a dictator), Biden told reporters in response to a question when reminded about his similar remarks about Xi early this year.

"Look, he is. He's a dictator in the sense that he's a guy who runs a country that is a communist country that's based on a form of government totally different than ours," Biden said.

Xi secured a third term as president when nearly 3,000 members of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, voted for him in a contest where no other candidate existed.