U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday his goal during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week is to resume normal communications between the two superpowers, including military-to-military contacts.

Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for San Francisco, Biden said he is trying to alter the U.S. relationship with China for the better, after a period of strained ties.

Biden and Xi are to meet on Wednesday in the San Francisco area during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It will be only the second in-person meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in January 2021.

Asked how he would measure success at the talks with Xi, Biden said:

“To get back on a normal course, corresponding and being able to pick up the phone and talk to one another in a crisis, and being able to make sure that our militaries still have contact with one another.”