President Joe Biden highlighted the need for the United States and China to "responsibly" manage their competition and cooperate to tackle global challenges during his talks with the top Chinese diplomat in Washington on Friday, the White House said.

Biden met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as Washington seeks Beijing's cooperation in preventing the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group from spreading across the Middle East and in addressing other global challenges.

Wang's trip to the US came amid speculation that the US and China have been fine-tuning details for an expected summit between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit slated to take place in San Francisco from Nov. 11-17.

"The president emphasized that both the United States and China need to manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication," the White House said in a readout. "He underscored that the United States and China must work together to address global challenges."

Biden expressed his condolences on the passing of former Premier Li Keqiang, his office said.

Asked to comment on whether Biden and Xi will meet at the APEC gathering, John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, reiterated Biden's hopes to see Xi "in the near future."

"The president has said that he fully expects to meet again with President Xi," Kirby said in an online press briefing. "We are confident that that's going to happen."

The official also underscored that both sides have acknowledged the importance of leader-level channels of communication to manage "this most consequential bilateral relationship."

Though Washington has accused Beijing of conducting "coercive and risky" action in the South China Sea and tightened its chip export restrictions against China, it has been seeking cooperation on matters of mutual concern.

The US hopes that Beijing will use its influence in the Middle East, especially its relations with Iran, to head off an escalation in the Israel-Hamas war at a time when Israel is expected to launch a ground incursion into Gaza amid rising tensions with Hezbollah militants from Lebanon.

Later in the day, Wang met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

The two sides affirmed that they would work together towards a meeting between Biden and Xi on the sidelines of next month's APEC summit, a senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"We are working together towards that goal and making preparations on our side," the official said.

Wang met Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday and Friday morning.

In recent months, the Biden administration has been pursuing better ties with Beijing under its drive to "de-risk" -- rather than decouple -- the bilateral relationship. The efforts were evidenced by high-level visits to China by Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

The US outreach to China followed a period of tensions caused by China's sending a spy balloon over North America early this year. (Yonhap)