Please have a seat. As you know, I just included several hours of the meetings with President Shee, and I believe they're some of the most constructive and productive discussions we've had. I've been meeting with President Shee since both of us were vice president over 10 years ago. Our meetings have always been candid and straightforward. We haven't always agreed, but they've been straightforward. Today, build on the groundwork related with the past several months of high-level diplomacy between our teams, we've made some important progress, I believe. First, I'm pleased to announce that after many years of being on hold, we are restarting cooperation between the United States and PRC and Counter Narcotics. In 2019, you may remember, China took action to greatly reduce the amount of fentanyl shipped directly from China to the United States. But in the year since that time, the challenge has evolved from finished fentanyl to fentanyl, chemical ingredients and pill presses which are being shipped without control. By the way, some of these pills are being inserted in other drugs like cocaine. A lot of people are dying. More people in the United States between the ages of 18 to 49 die from fentanyl than from guns, car accidents, or any other cause, period.

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 X's commitment on this issue. President X and I tasked our teams to maintain a policy and law enforcement coordination going forward to make sure it works. I also want to thank the Bipartisan Regression to China, led by leader Schumer, in October for supporting this effort so strongly. Secondly, and this is critically important, we're re-assuming military-to-military contact, direct contacts. As a lot of you press no follow this, that's been cut off and it's been worrisome. That's how accidents happen, misunderstandings. So we're back to direct, open, clear, direct communications on a direct basis. Vital miscalculations on either side can cause real trouble with a country like China or any other major country. And so I think we've made real progress there as well. And thirdly, we're going to get our experts together to discuss risk and safety issues associated with artificial intelligence. As many of you have traveled me around the world, almost everywhere I go, every major leader wants to talk about the impact of artificial intelligence.

These are tangible steps in the right direction to determine what's useful and what's not useful, what's dangerous and what's acceptable. Moreover, there are evidence of cases that I'vethat I've made all along. The United States will continue to compete vigorously with the PRC, but we'll manage that competition responsibly so it doesn't veer into conflict or accidental conflict. And where it's possible, where our interests are coincided, we're going to work together like we did on fentanyl. That's what the world expects of us. The rest of the world expect, not just in people in China, in the United States, but the rest of the world expects that of us. And that's what the United States is going to be doing. Today, President, she and I also exchange views on a range of regional and global issues, including Russia's refusal and brutal war to stop the war and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and conflict in Gaza. And as I always do, I raised areas where the United States has concerns about the PRC's actions, including detained and exit-banned to US citizens, human rights, and corrective coercive activities in the South China Sea. We discussed all three of those things.

I gave them names of individuals that we think are being held, and hopefully we can get them released as well. No agreement on that. No agreement on that. I also stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan straits. It's clear that we object to Beijing's non-market economic practices and that disadvantage in American businesses and workers, and then we'll continue to address them. I named what I thought a number of those were. I welcome the of steps we've taken today. It's important for the world to see that we're implementing the approach in the best traditions of American diplomacy. We're talking to our competitors and just talking, just blunt with one another. There's no misunderstanding as a key element to maintaining global stability and delivering to the American people. In the months ahead, we're going to continue to preserve and pursue high-level diplomacy, the PRC, in both directions to keep the lines of communication open, including between President, she and me. He and I agreed that each of us could pick up the phone, call directly, and we would be heard immediately. Now I'd like to be able to take some questions if I may.

I'm told that Dimitri or the Financial Times has the first question.

Thank you. And as an Irishman, I apologize for bringing the rain.

Well, holy God, I wouldn't have called on you if I'd known that. No, I'm teasing. Go ahead. Fire away, Dimitri.

President Biden, given that America is playing a key role in two major global crises in Ukraine and in Gaza, does that alter your previous commitments to defend Taiwan from any Chinese military action? And did Cheehing Ping outline the conditions under which China would attack Taiwan?

Look, I reiterated what I've said since I've become President and what every previous President late has said, that we maintain the agreement that there is a one-China policy. Outly. I'm not going to change that. That's not going to change. That's about the extent to which we discussed it. Next question, sorry, was Bloomberg.

It.

Appears, among other issues that your agreement with President G over fentanyl will require a lot of trust and verification to ensure success curbing those drug flows. I'm wondering after today and considering all that you've been through in the past year, would you say, Mr. President, that you trust President Chi? And secondly, if I could, on Taiwan, you and your administration officials have warned President Chi in China about interference in the upcoming elections. I'm wondering what would the consequences be if they do, in fact, interfere in those elections?

Well, I may have had that discussion with him too, made it clear I didn't expect any interference, any at all. And we had that discussion as he was leaving. Look, do I trust you? I trust but verify that old saying goes. That's where I am. And we're in a competitive relationship, China and the United States. But my responsibility is to make this rational and manageable so it doesn't result in conflict. That's what I'm all about. That's what this is about. To find a place where we can come together and where we find mutual interest, but most importantly, from my perspective, that are an interest in American people. That's what this is about. And that's exactly what we'll do. We're in a situation where we agree that fentanyl and its precursors will be curbed substantially and the pill presses. That's a big movement. They're doing that. And by the way, I guess I shouldn't identify where it occurred, but John and I know two people near where I live. Our kids literally, as I said, strange as they woke up dead. Some of them inserted in, whether the young man did or not, inserted in a drug he was taking fentanyl.

Again, I hope you don't have any experience with knowing anyone, but this is the largest killer, people in that age category. And I guess the other thing I think is most important is that since I spent more time with President, she than any world leader has just because we were vice presidents. His president was President who? I'm not making a joke. President who? And President Obama thought we should get to know one another. Wouldn't be appropriate for the President of the United States to be walking, dealing with the Vice President. So we met, if I'm not mistaken, I think it was 68 hours of just face-to-face, just us and a simultaneous interpreter. I think I know the man. I know his modus operandi. We have disagreements. He has a different view than I have and a lot of things, but he's been straight. I don't mean that he's good, better, and different. He's just been straight. And so, as I said, the thing that I find most assuring is he raised, and I fully agree that either one of us have any concern, Mr. Ambassador, any concern about anything between our nations or happening in our region, we should pick up the phone and call one another and we'll take the call.

That's an important progress. I'm embarrassed. I think it's CBS, but I can't remember who is CBS. I'm sorry.

Thank you, Mr. President. You did okay.

Sorry. I apologize.

You continue to stress that the nation for.

Competition.

With China does not fear its.

Conflict or competition.

In the past few years, there have been more than 180 instance of the Chinese aggression against the US aircraft in the Pacific, and of course, the ramp-up military activity in the South China. If that does not count, hearing the conflictation, then what does? And is it issued warnings against that?

Well, first of all, none of it did end up in a conflict, number one. Number two, you may recall I did a few little things like get the quad together, allow Australia to have access to new submarines, moving in the direction of work with the Philippines. Our actions speak loud in our words. He fully understands.

Because the nation is engaged, there is no question.

About the idea of the.

Trade on the option of the hospital.

As it thys been contained and takes out the cost that is there. This week, you also said that we must protect hospitals. When we way the target against the number of civilians by the hospital is the operation way, just….

Look, we did discuss this, by the way, but we can't let that get out of control. Here's the situation. You have a circumstance where the first war crime is being committed by Hamas by having their headquarters, their military hidden under a hospital. And that's a fact. That's what's happened. Israel did not go in with large number of troops, did not raid, did not rush everything down. They've gone in and they've gone in with their soldiers carrying weapons or guns. They were told, told, let me be precise, we've discussed the need for them to be incredibly careful. You have a circumstance where you know there is a fair number of Hamas terrorists. Hamas has already said publicly that they plan on attacking Israel again like they did before. They're doing everything, cutting babies' heads off to burning women and children alive. And so the idea that they're going to just stop and not do anything is not realistic. This is not the carpet bombing. This is a different thing. They're going through these tunnels. They're going in the hospital. If you notice, I was mildly preoccupied today. I apologize. I didn't see everything. But what I did see, whether I haven't had it confirmed yet, I had asked my team to answer the question.

But what happened is they're also bringing in incubators. They're bringing in other means to help the people in the hospital. And they've given the doctors, and I'm told, the doctors and I'm told the doctors and nurses and the personnel opportunity to get out of harm's way. So this is a different story than I believe what was occurring before an indiscriminate bombing. What have we got? Washington Post. I think that's right. Thank you, Mr.

President. Oh, there you are. Sorry, I couldn't see in the light.

Mr. President, Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 11,000 just for a month.

And created- I'm sorry, you're breaking up.

Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians just over a month and created a humanitarian disaster. Israeli officials have said this work months or even years. Have you communicated to Prime Minister Netanyahu any deadline or time frame for how long you are willing to support Israel in this operation? Are you comfortable with the operation going on indefinitely? And is there any deal underway to free us? Thank you.

Yes, no, working backwards forward. Look, I have been deeply involved in moving on the hostage negotiation. I don't want to get ahead of myself here because I don't know what's happened in the last four hours. But we've gotten great cooperation from the Qatari. I've spoken with them as well a number of times. I think the pause that the Israelis have agreed to, it's down to… I'm getting too much detail. I know, Mr. Secretary, I'm going to stop. But I am mildly hopeful. I'm mildly hopeful. With regard to when is this going to stop? I think it's going to stop when Hamas no longer maintains the capacity to murder and abuse and just do horrific things to the Israelis. And they still think that at least as of this point, they still thought they could. I guess the best way for me to say it is that I take a look. The IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, acknowledges they have an obligation to use as much caution as they can in going after their targets. It's not like they're rushing in the hospital, knocking down doors, and pulling people aside, and shooting people indiscriminately. But Hamas, as I said, said they plan on attacking Israelis again.

And this is a terrible dilemma. So what do you do? I think that Israel is also taking risks themselves about their folks being killed and one-to-one going through these hospital rooms, hospital halls. But one thing has been established is that Hamas does have headquarters, weapons, material below this hospital, and I suspect others. But how long it's going to last? I don't know. Look, I made it clear to the Israelis that the De B, and to his war cabinet that I think the only ultimate answer here is a two-state solution. It's real. We got to get to the point where there is an ability to be able to even talk without worrying about whether or not they're dealing with Hamas that's going to engage in the same activities they did over the past on the seventh. But I can't tell. I'm not a fortune teller. I can't tell you how long it's going to last. But I can tell you I don't think it ultimately ends until there's a two-state solution. I made it clear to the Israelis I think it's a big mistake for them to think they're going to occupy Gaza and maintain Gaza.

I don't think that works. And so I think you're going to see efforts to bring along… Well, I shouldn't go in anymore because that's been things I've been negotiating with Arab countries and others about what the next steps are. But anyway, thank you all very much. Appreciate it.

For everyone. Thank you.

This ends the press conference. We're all the host of this. Let me read what you said for COVID-19.

Hamas said they plan on doing the same thing again with what they did, what they did on the seventh. They're going to go in. They want to slaughter Israelis. They want to do it again. They've said it out loud. They're not kidding about it. They're not backing off. And so I just asked rhetorical questions. I wonder what we would do if that were the case.

On.

The.

Hospital, you said we're coming. What do you mean to be here? In the hospital, you.

Said, Hey, guys, we're coming for you. What I meant was I'm doing everything in my power to get you out. Coming to help you, to get you out. I don't mean sending military to get them. Is that what you thought I might mean? No, I was not talking about the military. I was talking about, on our mind every single day, five, six times a day, I'm working on how I can be helpful in getting the hostages released and have a period of time where there's a pause long enough to let that happen. And there are somewhere between 50 and 100 hostages there, we think.

Sir, what's a three-year-old American child?

You're darn right it is. That's why I'm not going to stop till we get her.

Mr.

Biden speaking to- Can.

You detail for us what evidence that you have seen that the mass has a command center under Al-Shikha Hospital?

No, I can't tell you. I won't tell you.

Do you feel absolutely confident based on what you know that that is the truth? Yes. Mr. President, after today, would you still refer to President Chief as a nationator? This is a term that you used earlier this year.

Oh, look, he is. I mean, he is a dictator in the sense that he is a guy who runs a country that is a time-based on the former government that's only different than ours.

Anyway, we're not talking about this.