WASHINGTON, 16 November 2021, (TON): A senior US administration official said “US President Joe Biden will tell Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a virtual meeting on Monday meant to reduce the chances of a superpower conflict that China must "play by the rules of the road" like a responsible nation.”

The video dialogue, initiated by Biden and expected by the United States to run for several hours on Monday evening, will be about setting terms for future US-China competition, the official told reporters.

Both sides hope the most extensive talks between the leaders since Biden became president in January will make the relationship less acrimonious.

The US official told reporters "this is an opportunity for President Biden to tell President Xi directly that he expects him to play by the rules of the road, which is what other responsible nations do," citing a litany of U.S. concerns, including China's economic "coercion" of U.S. allies and alleged human rights abuses.

Biden is focused on writing those rules "in a way that is favorable to our interests and our values and those of our allies and partners", the official said, adding that talks with China must be "substantive and not symbolic".

The official added "this is not a meeting where we expect deliverables to be coming out.”