The leaders of America and China are meeting face-to-face ahead of the G20 summit in Bali.

Monday's talks between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping come as tensions between the superpowers continue to rise.

It's the first in-person encounter between the two presidents since Biden took office last year. Security and economic issues will likely be high on the agenda.

At the start of the meeting, Biden said he's committed to keeping lines of communication open between Washington and Beijing.

He said " As the leaders of our two countries, we share responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences."

Xi expressed hope he and Biden would exchange candid opinions in their talks.

He said "We, as leaders of the two major economies, must decide the direction. We have to follow the right path."

Concerns over Taiwan are expected to be a key focus of the meeting.

US-China ties have deteriorated as Beijing has ratcheted up military pressure on Taiwan.

The bilateral relationship became even more strained when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in August.

Biden is expected to voice US concerns over China's actions on Taiwan and try to grasp the motives for them.

He wants to avoid Washington and Beijing misinterpreting each other's intentions.

Xi will likely demand that Biden end his country's involvement with Taiwan.

Last month, Xi told National Congress delegates China will never renounce the use of force to, in his words, "achieve reunification" with self-ruled Taiwan.

The leaders are also expected to discuss Ukraine and North Korea. Analysts say the meeting is unlikely to produce concrete results but it could help stabilize ties and help prevent a serious conflict from developing.