Joe Biden, Xi Jinping hold talks to repair ties

"It's paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader-to-leader, with no misconceptions or miscommunication," Mr Biden said. "We have to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict. And we also have to manage it responsibly," he added. Middle East help Since they last met, already fraught ties have been further strained by the US downing of a Chinese spy balloon that had flown over the continental US and by differences on the self-ruled island of Taiwan, China's hacking of a Biden official's emails and other incidents. Mr Biden is expected to let Mr Xi know that he…