China's Xi promises to work with Trump during final meeting with Biden

China's Xi Jinping has promised he is ready "to work with the new US administration" during his final meeting with President Joe Biden.

During their talks on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, Xi cautioned that a stable China-US relationship was critical to the two nations and the "future and destiny of humanity."

"Make the wise choice," he cautioned as he looked ahead to the era of 'America First' under Donald Trump.

Without mentioning Trump’s name, Xi appeared to signal his concern that the incoming president’s protectionist rhetoric on the campaign trail could send the US-China relationship into another valley.

"China is ready to work with a new US administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-US relationship for the benefit of the two peoples," Xi said through an interpreter.

Speaking alongside the Chinese leader Biden said: "We haven’t always agreed, but our conversations have always been candid and always been frank. We’ve never kidded one another.

"These conversations prevent miscalculations, and they ensure the competition between our two countries will not veer into conflict."

Despite Biden's administration coming to an end the two leaders had much to discuss with the president urging Xi to dissuade North Korea from further involvement in Ukraine and keeping out of Taiwan.

On artificial intelligence, the two agreed on the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons and more broadly improve safety and international cooperation of the rapidly expanding technology.

There’s much uncertainty about what lies ahead in the U.S.-China relationship under Trump, who campaigned promising to levy 60% tariffs on Chinese imports.

Already, many American companies have been diversifying their sourcing away from China.

Speaking in front of cameras at the conference Xi said in a message to Trump: "In a major flourishing sci-tech revolution, neither decoupling nor supply chain disruption is a solution."

"Only mutual, beneficial cooperation can lead to common development. ‘Small yard, high fence’ is not what a major country should pursue."

Biden administration officials have said they would advise the Trump team that managing the intense competition with Beijing will likely be the most significant foreign policy challenge they will face.

Biden has viewed his relationship with Xi as among the most consequential on the international stage and put much effort into cultivating it.

The two first got to know each other on travels across the U.S. and China when both were vice presidents, interactions that both have said left a lasting impression. They last met a year ago on the APEC sidelines in Northern California.

Biden said: "For over a decade, you and I have spent many hours together, both here and in China and in between."

"We’ve spent a long time dealing with these issues."

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