WASHINGTON—President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone Thursday night in an effort to ease hostilities between the two powers and reset lines of communication after recent high-level meetings were described by U.S. officials as unproductive.
The call was the second time the leaders have spoken since Mr. Biden took office. In the seven months since then, the U.S. has accused China of human rights violations, imposed sanctions and warned businesses about operating in Hong Kong. The two countries have continued to trade barbs rather than cooperate on combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
