SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping was touting Indo-Pacific leaders fresh from meeting President Joe Biden in a flurry of meetings Thursday at a time of intensifying competition with the United States.

Xi held one-on-one talks with the leaders of Mexico, Peru, Fiji, Japan and Brunei, all on the sidelines of a summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies.

In a meeting with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Xi said the two countries should strengthen economic and trade cooperation and pledged China’s support for Peru as host of the APEC leaders’ summit next year.

In particular, Xi said China is willing to import more “premium” agricultural products from the South American country and will encourage Chinese companies to participate in major projects in Peru.

Earlier, Xi held talks with Andrés Manuel López Obrador, praising the Mexican president for his leadership and reform efforts and promising to take China-Mexico relations to a new level. It was believed to be the two men’s first face-to-face meeting.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to deepen anti-drug cooperation. China and the United States said on Wednesday that both would work together to stem the flow of fentanyl precursors to countries like Mexico before the drug is ready and smuggled into the United States

Xi said the two countries should cooperate in sectors such as infrastructure, finance and electric vehicles, while López Obrador said Mexico would pave the way for Chinese companies to invest in Mexico. According to Chinese state media, the Mexican leader also said his country is willing to cooperate with China on multilateral affairs and help promote China-Latin American relations.

In recent years, many Chinese companies have shifted some of their production to Mexico in the face of tariffs and other restrictions imposed by the U.S. government. Xi expressed sympathy for those affected by Hurricane Otis and said China has made emergency arrangements for Mexico to procure relief supplies.

The Mexican president posted on X shortly after his meeting with Xi that the two leaders “reaffirmed the commitment to continue maintaining good relations for the benefit of our people and our nations.”

Xi met Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. Xi said Beijing treats Fiji as “a good friend and good partner” in the global south, broadly referring to developing countries.

The Chinese leader also met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the Sultan of Brunei.

In an opening speech, Kishida said China and Japan “share the mutual responsibility to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world.”

China said Xi told Kishida that it is in the interests of the two peoples for the two countries to live together peacefully, cooperate and grow together. Xi said the two sides should handle differences properly and focus on common interests.

Xi called Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, an “old friend” and said China will work with Brunei to bring benefits to both peoples.

Xi spent four hours with Biden on Wednesday, their first face-to-face meeting in a year.