US President Joe Biden expressed satisfaction at being able to talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping “directly” and “immediately” in the event of a crisis, after their summit in California.

The two leaders agreed to “keep channels of communication open, including (that) between President Xi and me,” he stressed during a press conference. “He and I agreed that any one of us could pick up the phone, call directly and be heard right away,” Mr. Biden added.

However, during a press conference, Mr. Biden said that he still considers the Chinese president a “dictator”, repeating a characterization that has caused indignation and reactions from Beijing.

“He is a dictator in the sense that he is ruling a country, a communist country, where the form of government is completely different from ours,” the US president said.

Still, he described the talks as “constructive and productive,” referring to the agreement to restore high-level military contacts between the two major powers and China’s military involvement in the fight against fentanyl.

“I have completed several hours of talks with President Xi and I consider them to be the most constructive and productive we have had,” he said.