The virtual summit between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping kicked off early Tuesday morning.
Biden said at the start of the summit that "they both have a responsibility as leaders to ensure that relations between China and the United States do not veer into open conflict."
According to Biden, the rivalry between the two countries should not turn into a conflict, whether intended or not.
On the other hand, the Chinese president stressed the need to improve cooperation between the two countries, stressing the importance of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
The Chinese president added that a healthy and stable relationship between the two countries is necessary to address global issues such as climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.
Xi and Biden have previously talked by phone twice, but this summit will be the first via video link between them, and it bears great importance as it represents an opportunity for the two superpowers to continue dialogue between them at the highest level.
The summit comes amid heightened tension between the world's two largest economies over differences, including the origin of the coronavirus epidemic, human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and tensions over Taiwan.
Earlier, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the meeting could take "several hours."
However, both Washington and Beijing stressed that you should not be hopeful about the important immediate results of this summit.
And the White House announced that it is not expected that this hypothetical meeting will lead to "tangible results."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian only said that the two presidents "will have a frank, in-depth and full exchange of views" on their bilateral relations, which are at a sensitive juncture.