President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden shook hands and pledged to steer their countries away from conflict on Wednesday as they met for the first time in a year at a high-stakes summit in California.

The hotly anticipated meeting began with Biden greeting Xi as he stepped out of a black limousine at the scenic Filoli country estate near San Francisco, before they shared a quick handshake on the front steps.

The two leaders then headed inside for painstakingly choreographed, closed-door talks on issues including sanctions and trade that have roiled relations between the world's largest economies.

Sitting opposite Xi at a long wooden table inside a frescoed ballroom decorated with US and Chinese flags, Biden opened his remarks by saying that tensions should "not veer into conflict."

"We've known each other for a long time. We haven't always agreed, which is not a surprise to anyone, but our meetings have always been candid and straightforward and useful," he said as Xi listened through headphones.

"I think it's paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader, but (with) no misconceptions or miscommunication. We have to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict."

Biden added that they would discuss global challenges including climate change, drugs and artificial intelligence.

Xi responded by saying "conflict and confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides."

"For two large countries like China and United States, turning their back on each other is not an option," he said.

"Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed."

The talks had been expected to last up to four hours. (AFP)
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Last updated: 2023-11-16 HKT 07:30