WASHINGTON, D.C.: United States President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his country was not seeking to distance itself from China, but in fact wanted an improved relationship, as he prepared for a highly anticipated summit with President Xi Jinping in San Francisco.

The two leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Californian city for their first encounter in a year as trade tensions, sanctions and the question of Taiwan have fueled quarrels between the world's two largest economies.