Biden speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid tensions in recent months

President Joe Biden spoke with China's President Xi Jinping on Thursday evening as relations between the two countries have remained tense in recent months, particularly in cyberspace, with the US having accused China of widespread malfeasance, including a massive hack of Microsoft's email system and other ransomware attacks.

"The two leaders had a broad, strategic discussion in which they discussed areas where our interests converge, and areas where our interests, values, and perspectives diverge," said a readout of the call, provided by the White House. "They agreed to engage on both sets of issues openly and straightforwardly. This discussion, as President Biden made clear, was part of the United States' ongoing effort to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC." Biden addressed cyber issues during the roughly 90-minute conversation, and generally sought to have a "broad and strategic discussion" about how to manage the competitive US-China relationship to avoid veering into conflict, according to a senior administration official who spoke with reporters before and after the call. The official described the tone of the call, which Biden took from the Treaty Room of the White House residence, as "respectful" and "familiar and candid."