US President Joe Biden expressed concern about Beijing's actions regarding Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, the White House said in a statement released on Tuesday following a video meeting of Biden with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Biden has expressed concern about the PRC's actions in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, as well as about human rights in general, the statement said.

The head of the White House discussed with the Chinese leader the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and announced Washington's continued determination to fulfill its commitments in this vast geographic area.

President Biden reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation and safe flight to the prosperity of the region, the statement released.

In addition, Biden clearly stated the need to protect American workers and industry from unfair Chinese trade and economic practices.

Washington has repeatedly asserted the alleged human rights violations in Hong Kong, as well as in the Tibetan and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions of the PRC. Beijing regularly denies such accusations and urges Washington not to interfere in China's domestic politics.

The two leaders exchanged views on key regional issues, including the DPRK, Afghanistan and Iran, the statement says.

They discussed opportunities for the two sides to continue discussions on a range of issues, and President Biden stressed the importance of meaningful and concrete discussions.

The online meeting of the two leaders began at 08:46 Beijing time, China Central Television reported. The first half lasted about 1 hour and 56 minutes, after which the parties left for a break. The second part of the meeting began at 11:06 Beijing time and lasted about 1 hour 18 minutes. In total, negotiations between the two leaders lasted about 3 hours and 14 minutes.

This is the first official meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in January 2021. Previously, they exchanged messages and phone calls. The last telephone conversation between Biden and Xi Jinping took place on September 10.