US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have discussed Taiwan and other issues via telephone.
The two governments said the call took place on Tuesday. It was the first dialogue between Biden and Xi since they met face to face near San Francisco in November last year.
The White House said “the two leaders held a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of cooperation and areas of difference.”
The White House also said Biden “emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” ahead of the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president Lai Ching-te next month.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Xi “stressed that the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.”
Xi is also quoted as saying that “In the face of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and external encouragement and support for them, China is not going to sit on its hands.”
Biden reportedly stressed the importance of the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
Chinese coast guard ships have fired water cannons at Philippine military vessels and injured crew members in waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, where both countries claim sovereignty.
The US Treasury Department announced that Secretary Janet Yellen will visit China from Wednesday to April 9.
A senior US official says Secretary of State Antony Blinken also plans to visit in the coming weeks.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters the US believes that there is no substitute for regular communication at the leader level to effectively manage this complex and often tense bilateral relationship.
