President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping's meeting explained - from fentanyl to military

The meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping of China seemed to go well, even though analysts suggested that the bar was "pretty low."

A quick glimpse into the meeting on Wednesday (November 15) in San Francisco Bay revealed that all that was really accomplished was to prevent a further backsliding of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which has been contentious as of late.

"China will need to convince the United States that China does not want to be the next top dog in the world, Victor Gao, a former Chinese diplomat who translated for the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, told ABC News.

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The pair, who last met in November 2022, met at the Filoli Historic House and Garden.

The two leaders agreed to restore some military-to-military communications between their armed forces and pledged cooperation that would bring the US and China closer to resuming regular talks under what’s known as the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement.

Biden and Xi also agreed to curb the production of illicit fentanyl and engage in intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence.

"In the years since that time, the challenge has evolved from finished fentanyl to fentanyl chemical ingredients being transported," Biden said.

"So today, with this new understanding, we're taking action to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals and pill presses from China to the Western Hemisphere. It's going to save lives, and I appreciate President Xi's commitment."

The outcome of Wednesday's talks could have far-reaching implications for an anxious world grappling with major wars in the Middle East and in Europe.

Biden was escorted to the meeting point with Xi by a motorcade of his most important advisors, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The meeting put an end to a yearlong silence between the two nations marked by growing tensions between Washington DC and Beijing over military development, economic competition and hostility toward Taiwan.

When asked after the meeting to describe Xi, Biden referred to the Chinese president as a "dictator."

"He is a dictator in the sense that he is a guy who runs a country that is communist," Biden said to CNN, adding that the Chinese government "is totally different than ours."