It was a rare, candid glimpse of the Chinese leader and a reminder of Beijing's testy relations with the West.
Besides Biden, Trudeau and Australia's Anthony Albanese, Xi also met the leaders of South Korea, Italy, Argentina, Holland and France for bilateral talks in Bali.
Xi was ferried around Bali in his own Hongqi (Red Flag) limousine - Mao Zedong used an earlier model - China's version of the U.S. presidential "Beast" limo.
Returning to in-person diplomacy also gives Xi a platform to push Chinese initiatives that further cement its stature as leader of the emerging world.
"I think in the coming years you'll see China indeed making a serious effort to implement its major power diplomacy," he said.