President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping spoke yesterday in a new bid to manage tensions between the United States and China, with top US officials to head shortly to Beijing, officials said. The telephone conversation was the two leaders' first direct interaction since a summit in November in California that saw a marked thaw in tone if not the long-term rivalry between the world's two largest economies. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen -- who have both voiced a willingness to find areas to work with China even while maintaining pressure -- will soon visit China. Yellen will leave in the coming days, while Blinken will travel in the coming weeks, a senior US official said. "Intense competition requires intense diplomacy to manage tensions, address misperceptions and prevent unintended conflict. And this call is one way to do that," the official said on condition of anonymity. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that the two leaders had a "candid and in-depth exchange" on issues of common concern. Xi has solidified power at home and taken a tough approach in Asia, with a crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong.