US Biden and China's Xi hold first call in seven months

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with his US counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday, their first call in seven months.

A White House Statement said they had a "broad, strategic discussion in which they discussed areas where our interests converge".

This is only the second call between them since President Biden took office.

US- China relations have been tense, with clashes over issues like trade, espionage and the pandemic.

"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," the White House Statement added.

"The two leaders discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict."

Earlier this year, high-level talks between the Biden administration and China were fraught with tension - with officials on both side exchanging sharp rebukes.

Chinese officials had accused the US of inciting countries "to attack China", while the US said China had "arrived intent on grandstanding".

Quite a lot as it turns out.

There are quite a few major issues both countries clash on - with a major one being human rights and democracy.

The US accuses China of genocide against the Uighur population in the province of Xinjiang. It also says Beijing is trampling on democratic rights in Hong Kong with a recently introduced security law that critics say is being used to crack down on dissent.

Meanwhile, China has repeatedly told the US to stop interfering in what Beijing considers its internal affairs and accuses Washington of "smearing" the ruling Communist Party.

China is also pushing back against what it sees as US naval encroachment in the South China Sea, which Beijing considers Chinese territory.

We could also be seeing tensions over Afghanistan. Earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin slammed the US' withdrawal in Afghanistan, saying their troops had "wrecked havoc".

He also accused the US of inflicting "serious damage on the Afghan people".