Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is ready to be a partner and friend of the United States. He said this to US business leaders amid growing concern over China’s slowing economy. “If one country sees the other as the main competitor and the most consequential geopolitical challenge, it will only lead to misguided policies, misguided actions, and unintended consequences,” he said at a dinner during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. President Xi’s comments came a few hours after his much-anticipated talks with US President Joe Biden. In their first meeting after a year, they promised to reduce the tension between the two countries. Both sides have announced several agreements after talks at the luxury Filoli estate, reactivating a high-level military hotline.”We need to build more bridges and more roads for people-to-people communication”, in the presence of around 400 business leaders, government officials, and academics. Chinese President Xi said, “We should not create various obstacles or create an effect of horror.”Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, Blackrock’s Lawrence Fink, and Pfizer’s CEO Albert Burla were among the guests present on the occasion. Xi’s comments were closely watched at an event organized by the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on US-China Relations, given China’s strict trade surveillance and concerns over bilateral tensions. Foreign business confidence in China fell to its lowest level in years in September, US and European business lobbies said, as US companies increasingly sought to shy away from investing in China.