Xi, Biden Planning 'virtual' Meeting: White House

President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden are planning to meet by video link "before the end of the year," a senior US official said on Wednesday.

There is an "agreement in principle" for the "virtual bilateral," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"The president said how nice it would be to see Xi which he has not done for some years," the official said. "We would expect them to have the ability to see one another, even if only virtually."

The virtual meeting was announced after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Zurich with China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi. The senior official said those talks lasted six hours.

Sullivan's trip continues an uptick in contact between Beijing and Washington, as Biden argues for establishing "guardrails" for the growing contest between the two powers.

After the Zurich meeting, Sullivan is due to visit Brussels and Paris, where he will also "debrief his meeting with Director Yang to our European allies and partners," the White House said.

Since becoming president, Biden has had two phone calls with Xi. The second, lasting 90 minutes, took place last month. (AFP)