Nov 11: The much-awaited meeting comes at a time when relations between the two superpowers have particularly soured.
This has been fuelled by Beijing's claims over self-ruled Taiwan and its increasing assertiveness in Asia.
The US has responded by restricting access to computer chip technology.
That has hit China's export-driven economy which uses the tech to make and sell everything from phones to electric cars.
Given the recent spike in tensions and rhetoric, the world - and America's Asian allies such India, Japan and Australia - will be closely watching the meeting scheduled to take place on Monday in Bali ahead of the G20 Summit.
Mr Xi has spent most of the pandemic in China and only recently began travelling overseas again.
"I'm sure we'll discuss Taiwan... and what I want to do with him when we talk is lay out... what each of our red lines are," Mr Biden said at a press conference on Thursday after the White House confirmed the meeting.
This way they can "determine whether or not they conflict with one another… and if they do, how to resolve and how to work it out", he said. However, he also added that he was not willing to "make any fundamental concessions" about the US' policy on Taiwan.
Mr Biden, unlike previous US presidents, has repeatedly said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
But the White House has always rolled back his comments, insisting that Washington's stance of "strategic ambiguity" - under which it does not commit to defending Taiwan but also does not rule out the option - remains unchanged.
The White House later said on Thursday that it would brief Taiwan on the results of the meeting, with national security adviser Jake Sullivan saying the aim was to make Taiwan feel "secure and comfortable" about US support.
Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry said the US should work together with China to avoid misunderstandings and misjudgements, adding that while it wants peace with the US, "the Taiwan question" is at the core of its interests.
At the Chinese Communist Party congress last month, Mr Xi reiterated China's position on Taiwan where they would "never promise to renounce the use of force".
He said they reserved the option of "taking all measures necessary" if "outside forces" interfered with China's claims.
The US has long been walking a tightrope over Taiwan. A cornerstone of its relationship with Beijing is the One China policy, according to which Washington acknowledges only one Chinese government - in Beijing - and has no formal ties with Taiwan.
But it also maintains close relations with Taiwan and sells arms to it under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US must provide the island with the means to defend itself.
AUG 18: The first round of talks are expected to begin in "early fall", said the Office of US Trade Representative.
Their discussion will include talks on trade facilitation, digital trade and anti-corruption standards.
Relations between the US and China have been increasingly tense following Ms Pelosi's visit.
The US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade was first unveiled in June, with both sides now saying they had "reached consensus on the negotiating mandate".
"We plan to pursue an ambitious schedule.... that will help build a fairer, more prosperous and resilient 21st century economy," said Deputy United States Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi in a statement.
Trade between the US and Taiwan was worth nearly $106bn (£88bn) in 2020.
The announcement comes as China launched its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan after Ms Pelosi's visit earlier in August.
Under the "One China policy", the US recognises and has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan but maintains a "robust unofficial" relationship with Taiwan, including continued arms sales to the island so that it can defend itself.
Beijing sees the self-governing island as its own, renegade territory that must be united with the mainland.
However, Taiwan is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from the mainland.
Seperately on Thursday, top US diplomat for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink said Beijing's "growing coercion....threatens the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait".
"We will continue to take calm, but resolute steps to uphold peace and stability in the face of Beijing's ongoing efforts to undermine it and to support Taiwan in line with our long-standing policy," he said.
AUG 8: The Chinese army's Eastern Theatre Command said that it would practice anti-submarine attacks and sea raids.
The earlier four days of exercises were Beijing's response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island.
Taiwan has accused China of using these drills as practice for an invasion of the island.
On Monday Taiwan said Chinese aircraft and ships had not entered its territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles (22km; 14 miles) from the coast, during the exercises so far.
The US, along with Australia and Japan, have condemned the drills, saying their objective is to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait - the 180km-wide (110 miles) body of water between the mainland and the island.
Chinese aircraft and ships have repeatedly crossed the median line in the strait during the drills. But Taiwan's defence ministry said on Monday that the median line was a tacit understanding that has been in place since the 1950s and its existence was a "fact".
Washington has also condemned Beijing for breaking off cooperation with the US in a number of areas including climate change in retaliation for Ms Pelosi's visit.
Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that it can claim by force, if necessary.
But Taiwan is a self-ruled island that sees itself as distinct from China.
Any hint of recognition of this by world leaders, however, enrages China.
The renewed activity around Taiwan comes after Chinese maritime authorities announced that drills would also take place in other locations.
In the Yellow Sea - located between China and the Korean peninsula - new daily military drills were due to start from Saturday until the middle of August, and include live-fire exercises.
In addition, a month-long military operation in one area of the Bohai sea - north of the Yellow Sea - started on Saturday.
JULY 29: President Joe Biden told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that the US strongly opposed any unilateral moves to change the island's status.
But he added that US policy on Taiwan had not changed.
Beijing said Mr Xi had told Mr Biden to abide by the one-China principle, warning him that "whoever plays with fire will get burnt".
Tensions over the issue have increased ahead of a rumoured plan for US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan.
The state department says Ms Pelosi has not announced any travel, but China has warned of "serious consequences" if she were to proceed with such a visit.
Last week, Mr Biden told reporters "the military thinks it's not a good idea", but his White House has called Chinese rhetoric against any such trip "clearly unhelpful and not necessary".
Ms Pelosi, who is next in line to the presidency after the vice-president, would be the highest-ranking US politician to travel to Taiwan since 1997.
During Thursday's phone call, Mr Biden and Mr Xi also discussed arranging a possible face-to-face meeting, a senior Biden administration official said, describing the bilateral as "direct" and "honest".
When Mr Biden was US vice-president he hosted Mr Xi during a visit to the US by the Chinese leader in 2015, but they have not met in person during Mr Biden's presidency.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that must become a part of the country - and has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.
Under the one-China policy, Washington does not recognise Taipei diplomatically. But the US does sell weapons to the democratically self-governed island so that it can defend itself.
The White House said that apart from Taiwan, the two leaders discussed a range of other issues, including climate change and health security.
The Biden administration has been considering whether to lift Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports, arguing that such a move could ease soaring US inflation. But the US president did not discuss that issue with Mr Xi on Thursday, the senior US official said.
Analysts believe that both Joe Biden and Xi Jinping want to avoid an open conflict, the BBC's State Department Correspondent Barbara Plett Usher reports. But neither has made any attempt to alter their competing narratives, which was illustrated again by their contrasting statements about Thursday's call.
In a brief summary, the White House said it was part of efforts to "responsibly manage differences" and work together where "interests align".
In a much longer one, Beijing said many of their interests did align. But it blamed the US for the deteriorating relationship, criticising the Biden administration's view of China as a "primary rival" and Washington's "most serious long-term challenge."
Difficult to see anything positive
Much is being made of the fact that President Xi told President Biden that "those who play with fire will get burned".
It is a strong warning to America - but is not unprecedented. China's foreign ministry used exactly the same language when a US congressional delegation visited Taiwan earlier this year. The same phrase was used by China's defence ministry in a warning to Taiwan last year.
The fact that it has now been used by President Xi does give it more weight.
But it doesn't mean China is preparing military action against Taiwan, if - for example - Nancy Pelosi arrives here next week. It is instead telling America that if it continues down the current path, it will eventually lead to conflict.
It's difficult to see anything positive from this phone call in terms of the wider US-China relationship.
MAY 31: The incident on Monday marked the biggest incursion since January.
It came days after US President Joe Biden warned China against invading Taiwan, and on the same day as a US official visited the island to discuss security with leaders.
China has ratcheted up the frequency of its air missions in recent months, claiming they are training drills.
Such moves have angered Taiwan and increased tensions in the region.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province, which it can take by force if necessary.
The latest incident included 22 fighters, as well as electronic warfare, early warning and antisubmarine aircraft, Taiwan's defence ministry said.
The aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas Islands that is part of the Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to a map the ministry provided.
But the planes did not cross over into Taiwan's airspace itself, which would have been regarded as an act of hostility.
An ADIZ is an area outside of a country's territory and national airspace but where foreign aircraft are still identified, monitored, and controlled in the interest of national security. It is self-declared and technically remains international airspace.
Taiwan has been reporting for more than a year that Chinese aircraft have been flying into its ADIZ, calling it "grey zone" warfare aimed at testing their military response and wearing them out.
Analysts have previously said the incursions were a warning against Taiwan's government from moving towards a formal declaration of independence.
Beijing has said in the past that the exercises were geared to protect its sovereignty.
Mr Biden had referenced the air incursions during his visit to Asia that concluded last week - his first visit to the region as president.
He said China was "already flirting with danger right now by flying so close" to Taiwan, and issued his strongest warning to China yet, saying the US would be willing to respond military if Beijing were to invade the island.
His words appeared to mark a shift from the US' longstanding policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan, which allowed the US to remain deliberately vague about its response in such a situation.
China's military said last week it had recently conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a "solemn warning" against its "collusion" with the United States.
Monday's incursion took place as US senator Tammy Duckworth arrived in Taipei on an unannounced visit to discuss matters of regional security and trade with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen.
TAIPEI, Oct. 24 : A strong earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan on Sunday, with residents reporting violent shaking in the capital Taipei but there were no immediate reports of widespread damage. Taiwan's central weather bureau said the quake was of magnitude 6.5 while the US Geological Survey gave a lower figure of 6.2. It hit northeastern Yilan county at 1:11 pm (0511 GMT) at a depth of 67 kilometres (42 miles).
An AFP reporter who lives in Yilan said the shaking seemed to last some 30 seconds. "The walls of the house were shaking, both sideways and up and down, it felt quite strong," the reporter said. There was no damage in his neighbourhood.
The main quake was followed by a 5.4-magnitude aftershock and Taipei's MRT metro system shut down as a precaution for a little under an hour before service resumed. Tom Parker, a British illustrator who lives in Taipei, said he was riding the subway when the quake hit. "First time I've felt a quake on the MRT. Like a tame rollercoaster," he tweeted, adding he and other commuters were told to shelter in place in the station for now. Many others reported the tremor on social media. "I was scared to death, I screamed in my room," Yu Ting wrote on Facebook. "This earthquake is really big, glass has shattered in my living room." Some grocery stores reported food and other goods were thrown from shelves by the shaking.
Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates. Some earthquakes of this magnitude can prove deadly, although much depends on where the quake strikes and at what depth.
Hualien, a scenic tourist hotspot, was struck by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in 2018 that killed 17 people and injured nearly 300. In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history. However, a 6.2 earthquake struck in December 2020 in Yilan with no major damage or injuries reported.
Taipei [Taiwan], July 9 : Taiwan has received a shipment of 1.13 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by Japan on Thursday.
The vaccine doses were developed by the British-Swedish biotech company AstraZeneca and manufactured under license in Japan, Focus Taiwan reported. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, at a press briefing, thanked Japan for the donation and said inspection of the vaccine shipment will be expedited to allow for faster distribution.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday that the vaccine donations were a gesture of gratitude for Taiwan's aid to Japan in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit his country in 2011.
Motegi said he hopes the vaccines will help curb the spread of the virus in Taiwan, where daily confirmed cases have gradually flattened but a high alert for COVID-19 remains in place due to sporadic cases of the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus.
On June 4, Japan had donated 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan.
The donations come as Japan and Taiwan are strengthening ties, while their relations with Beijing are deteriorating.
Meanwhile, China has accused Taiwan's governing party of preventing the mainland from sending vaccines to Taiwan and falsely claiming that China has hindered its procurement of vaccines.
China has also lambasted Japan for having donated COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, labelling such a move as a "political performance". Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin had responded sharply when Tokyo said it is considering sending vaccines to Taipei in late May.
"We are firmly against those who exploit the pandemic to put on political shows or even meddle in China's internal affairs," he had said. "I have noticed that Japan can barely ensure adequate supply of vaccines at home."
"I would like to stress that vaccine assistance should be restored to its original purpose, which is to save lives, and should not be reduced to a tool for selfish political gains," he had added.
Taiwan's inoculation program has been on the slow side with President Tsai Ing-Wen's government facing flak over the unavailability of the vaccines.
Taiwan still has not received the ten million AstraZeneca vaccines it ordered between September 2020 and February 2021. In January, Taiwan agreed to purchase five million doses of BioNTech-Pfizer vaccines directly from BioNTech. The deal has remained unfulfilled.
President Tsai Ing-Wen, who handily won re-election last year, accused China of interfering with Taiwan's vaccine procurement to purposely cause delays.
"We were almost finished with the contract with the German supplier, but owing to China's interference, it's been delayed so that until now we have no way to complete it," she told members of her Democratic Progressive Party.
Health Minister Chen Shih-Chung later said that BioNTech had asked Taiwan to change the word "country" in the press release announcing the deal. Taiwan agreed, but the deal still remains unfinished.
To date, 60 per cent of the vaccines in Taiwan are donations from the governments of Japan and the US.
