Biden and Xi agree on curbing fentanyl production, resuming military talks | FULL

I don’t know this many people in town please have a seat as you know I just concluded several hours the meetings with president shei and I believe that are some of the most constructive and productive discussions we’ve had I’ve been meeting with President she since both us were Vice President over 10

Years ago our meetings have always been canid and straightforward we have always agreed but they’ve been straightforward and today build on the groundwork related over the past several months of high level diplomacy between our teams we’ve made some important progress I believe First I’m pleased to announce that after many years of being

On hold we are restarting cooperation between the United States and PRC and Counter Narcotics in 2019 you may remember China took action to greatly reduce the amount of fentanyl shipped to directly from China to the United States but in the years since that time the challenge has evolved from Finish

Fentanyl to fentanyl chemical ingredients and and pill presses which are being shipped without control and by the way some of these pills are being inserted in other drugs like cocaine a lot of people are dying more people in the United States between the ages of 18

To 49 die from fentanyl than from Guns car accidents or any other cause period so today with this new understanding we’re taking action to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals and pill presses from China to the Western Hemisphere it’s going to save lives and I appreciate president she’s

Commitment on this issue president she and I task our teams to maintain the policy and law enforcement coordination going forward to make sure it works I also want to thank the bipartisan Congressional Delegation to China led by leader Schumer in October for supporting efforts so this effort so strongly

Secondly and this is critically important we’re reassuming military to military contacts direct contacts as a lot of you press know follow this that’s been cut off and it’s been very worrisome that’s how accidents happened misunderstandings so we’re back to direct open clear Direct Communications

On a on a B on a direct basis vital miscalculations on either side can are can cause real real trouble with a with a a country like China or any other major country and so I think we’re made real progress there as well and thirdly we’re going to get our experts together

To discuss risk and safety issues associated with artificial intelligence as many of you who travel with me around the world almost everywhere I go every major leader wants to talk about the impact of artificial intelligence these are tangible steps in the right direction to determine what’s useful and

What’s not useful what’s dangerous and what’s acceptable moreover there are evidence of cases that uh that I made all along the United States will continue to compete vigorously with the PRC but we’ll manage that competition responsibly so it doesn’t Veer into conflict or accidental conflict and where it’s possible where our interests

Are coincide we’re going to work together like we did on fentol that’s what the world EXP expects of us the rest of the world expect not just in people in China and the United States but the rest of the world expects that of us and that’s what the United States

Are going to be doing today president she and I also exchanged views on a range of regional and Global issues including Russia’s refusal and brutal War to stop the war and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and and conflict in Gaza and as I always do I

Raised areas where the United States has concerns about the prc’s actions including the detained and ex and uh and and ex banned US citizens human rights and corrective uh course of activities in the South China Sea we discussed all three of those things I gave them names

Of individuals that we think are being held and hopefully we can get them released as well no agreement on that no agreement on that I also stress the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits it’s clear that we object to be to beijing’s non-market economic practices and disadvantage that that

Disadvantaged American businesses and workers and we’ll continue to address them and I named what I thought number of those were I welcome the positive steps we’ve taken today and it’s important for the world to see that we’re implementing the approach in the best traditions of American diplomacy

We’re talking to our competitors and the key and just just talking just m blunt with one another so there’s no misunderstanding as a key element to maintaining global stability delivering for the American people and in the months ahead we’re going to continue to preserve and pursue high level diplomacy

At the PRC in both directions to keep the lines of communication open including between President she and me he and I agreed that each one of can pick up the phone called directly and we be heard immediately and that’s uh now I’d like to be able to take some

Questions if I and I’m told that Demetri of the financial times has the first question thank you and as an Irishman I apologize for bringing the rain well holy God I wouldn’t have called on you if I known that no I’m teasing go ahead fire away to me

President Biden given that America is playing a key role in two major Global crises in Ukraine and in Gaza does that alter your previous commitment to defend Taiwan from any Chinese military action and did xiin Ping outline the conditions under which China would attack Taiwan look I reiterate what I’ve said since

Since I’ve become president what every previous president of late has said that uh we uh we maintain the agreement that there is a one China policy and that I’m not going to change that that’s not going to change and so uh that’s about the extent to which we discussed

It uh next question sorry was Bloomberg it appear among other issues that your agreement with uh president sh over fentol would require will require a lot of trust and verification to ensure success curbing those drug flows I’m wondering after today and considering all that you’ve been through in the past

Year would you say Mr President that you trust president she and secondly if I could on Taiwan uh you’ve you and your Administration official have warned president shei and CH China about interference in the upcoming elections I’m wondering what would the consequences be if they do in fact interfere in those

Election well I may had that discussion with him too made it clear I didn’t expect any interference any at all and we had that discussion as he was leaving look do I trust you I trust but verify as it old say goes that’s where I am and

Uh you know uh we’re in a competitive relationship China and the United States but uh my responsibility is to uh to make it uh make this rational and manageable so it uh so it doesn’t result in Conflict that’s what I’m all about that’s what this is about to find a

Place where we uh can come together and uh where we find mutual interest that uh but most importantly from my perspective that are in interest to the American people that’s what this is about and that’s exactly what we’ll do uh uh you know uh we’re in a situation where we

Agreed that uh Fentanyl and his prec his precursors will be curbed substantially and the pill presses that’s a big that’s a big movement they’re doing that and by the way uh you know I won’t I guess I shouldn’t identify where it occurred but John I know two people near where I live

Their kids literally as that strange they woke up dead somebody had inserted in where the young man did or not inserted in a uh a drug he was taking fentol again I I I don’t I hope you don’t have any experience with knowing anyone but this is the largest killer

People in that age category and uh you know uh I guess the other thing I think is most important is that uh since I I spent more time with presidency than any world leader has just because we were Vice Presidents uh his president was president who I’m not making a joke

President who and uh and President Obama thought we should get to know one another wasn’t appropriate for the president of the United States to be walking dealing with the vice president so we met uh if I’m not mistaken I think it was 68 hours of just face to face

Just us and a simultaneous interpreter so I I think I I know the man I know his Modo sap he’s been uh we have disagreements he has a different view than I have on a lot of things but he’s been straight I don’t mean that good bad

Or a different he just been straight and uh so uh you know uh we as I said the thing that I I find most assuring is he raised and I fully agree that either one of us have any concern Mr Ambassador any concern about anything anything between

Our Nations or happening in our region we should pick up the phone and call one another and we’ll take the call that’s an important progress uh I’m embarrassed I think it’s CBS but I can’t remember who in CBS I’m sorry uh Mr President sorry I apologize uh you continue to stress the

Comp China does not the past years there have Chinese against aircraft and of course ramp up milary China if that does not count than what does issue warnings well first of all none of it did end up in a con conflict number one number two uh you may recall I did a few

Little things like get the quad together allow Australia to have access to new submarines moving in a direction of work with the Philippines so uh our actions speak louder than our words he fully understands um as it and take out that is there this week you also said that we

Must protect hospital so when you weigh the target against the number of civilians inside the hospital is the operation way just well look we did discuss uh this by the way um but we can’t let that get out of control control here’s the situation you have a circumstance where

The first war crime is being committed by Hamas by having their headquarters their military hidden under a hospital and that’s a fact that’s what’s happened Israel did not go in with large number of troops did not raid did not rush everything down they’ve gone in and they’ve gone in with their soldiers

Carrying weapons or guns they were uh told uh told let me be precise we’ve discussed the need for them to be incredibly careful you have a circumstance where you know there is a fair number of Hamas terrorists Hamas has already said publicly that they plan on attacking

Israel again like they did before do everything cutting baby heads off to burning burning women and children alive and so the idea that they’re going to just stop and not do anything is not realistic this is not the carpet bombing this is a different thing they’re going through these tunnels they’re going in

The hospital and if you notice I I was mildly preoccupied today I apologize I didn’t see everything but what I did see whether I haven’t had it confirmed yet I am as my team they answer the question but what happened is they’re also bringing in incubators we’re bringing in other

Other means to help the people in the hospital and they’ve given the doctors and I’m told the doctors and nurses and the personnel and opportunity to get out of Harm’s Way so this is a different story than I believe what was occurring before indiscriminate bombing uh what do you got Washington

Post I think that’s right Mr presid oh there you are sorry I couldn’t see in the light uh Mr isra’s war in Gaza more than 11,000 pal just a month and I’m sorry you’re breaking up I didn’t Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians just over

A month and created a humanitarian disaster Israeli officials have said this war once or even years Have you communicated to prime minister Netanyahu any sort of deadline or time frame for how long you are willing to support Israel in this operation are you comfortable with the operation going on

Indefinitely and is there any deal underway to free hos thank you yes no working backwards forward look I have uh been deeply involved in moving on the uh hostage negotiation um and uh I don’t want to get ahead of myself here because I don’t know what’s happened in the last four

Hours but but uh I have uh we’ve gotten great uh cooperation from cutteries uh I’ve spoken with them as well a number of times I think the pause and that is really that Israelis have agreed to it’s down to I’m getting too much detail I know Mr secretary I’m going to

Stop the uh but I am I am mildly hopeful I’m mildly hopeful um with regard to uh when is this going to stop I think it’s going to stop when the uh when Hamas no longer maintains the capacity to murder and abuse and and uh and just do horrific things to uh the

Israelis and they’re in and they still think that at least as of this morning they still thought they could I uh I I guess the best way for me to say it is that uh I take a look uh the IDF the Israeli Defense Forces acknowledges they have an obligation to

Use uh as much caution as they can in going after their targets it’s not like they’re rushing in the hospital knocking down doors and you know pulling people aside and shooting people in discrim anyway um but uh Hamas as I said said they plan on attacking Israelis again

And uh this is a terrible dilemma uh so what do you do I think that uh Israel is also taking risks themselves about their folks being killed and one to one going through these hospital rooms Hospital halls but one thing has been established is that Hamas does have a headquarters weapons

Material below this hospital and I suspect others but how long it’s going to last I don’t know look I made it clear to the Israelis that um to BB and to his War cabinet that I think the only ultimate answer here is a two-state solution that’s real we got to

Get to the point where the is an ability to be able to even talk without worrying about whether or not we’re just dealing with the they’re dealing with Hamas that’s going to engage in the same activities they did over the past on on the 7th so it it’s but I can’t tell I’m

Not a fortune teller I can’t tell you how long it’s going to last but I can tell you I don’t think It ultimately ends until there’s a two-state solution I made it clear to the Israelis I think it’s a big mistake for them to think they’re going to occupy Gaza and

Maintain GSA I don’t think that works and so we’re going to I think you’re going to see efforts to uh bring along well I shouldn’t go in anymore because that’s been things I’ve been negotiating with Arab countries and others about what the next steps are but uh anyway

Thank you all very much appreciate very thank you this ends the press Conference what when hamama Hamas said they plan on doing the same thing again what they did what they did on the 7th they’re going to go in they want to slaughter Israelis they want to do it again they’ve said it out loud they’re not kidding about it

They’re not ping off and so I just ask a rhetorical question I wonder what we would do if that were the case on the hostages though you said we coming you what do you mean to the American hostages when you said we’re coming what I meant was I’m doing

Everything in my power to get you out coming to help you to get you out I don’t mean sending military in to get them is is that what you thought I might mean no no no I was not talking about a military I was talking about we you’re

On our mind every single day five six times a day I’m working on how I can be helpful and getting the hostages released and have a period of time where there’s a pause long enough to let that happen and there are somewhere between 50 and 100 hostages there uh we think

Was a three-year-old American child You’re darn right it is that’s why I’m not going to stop till we get Her can can you for us what kind of evence you have SU has a command center under Al hospital no I can’t tell you I won’t tell you you feel absolutely confident based on what you know is the truth yes and Mr President after to would you still refer to President Chief

As a dictor a term that you used earlier this year well look he is I mean he’s a dictator in the sense that he he is a guy who runs a country that is country that based on former government totally different than ours St

U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping reached agreements on several key areas as they met on the sidelines of the APEC summit on Wednesday, including curbing illicit fentanyl production and resuming military-to-military communications.

In a press conference following the hours-long meeting between the two leaders, Biden said the agreement would “significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals” from China.
“It’s going to save lives, and I appreciate President Xi’s commitment on this issue,” Biden said.

Biden also spoke about the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, saying that it would stop when Hamas “no longer maintains the capacity to murder” Israelis. Biden added that he believes a two-state solution “is the only answer” to the continued unrest in the region.

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