Biden will speak on new deals he made with China’s Xi

President Joe Biden arrives at San Francisco International Airport for the APEC summit on Tuesday.

Evan Vucci/AP

President Biden is expected to announce agreements on military communication channels and counternarcotics at a solo press conference after speaking with the Chinese leader for the first time in a year.

The leaders met just ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Their talks come as tensions between the world’s two largest economies have been on the rise, and as the White House has been trying to take a strong-on-China approach.

The last time Biden and Xi spoke face-to-face was at the G20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022.

Tune in to NPR special coverage and watch Biden’s press conference:

Biden’s idea of a successful meeting is restoring communication

Biden said Tuesday he wants communication with Xi to go back to a more normal level — especially between the nations’ militaries.

In August 2022, Beijing declared it was cutting off dialogue with the U.S. on major issues such as climate and military relations after then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

“To get back on a normal course of corresponding: being able to pick up the phone and talk to one another when there’s a crisis, being able to make sure our militaries still have contact with one another,” Biden said when a reporter asked what would make his meeting with Xi a success.

“We’re not trying to decouple from China, but what we’re trying to do is change the relationship for the better,” Biden added.

At the start of the meeting, Biden told Xi, “There is no substitute to face-to-face discussions. I’ve always found…