Joe Biden and Xi Jinping Talked on the Phone for Almost Two Hours About the Issues Related to Taiwan and the Russians

Biden used the call to emphasize “the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” the White House said in a press release.

For his part, Xi said that ties between China and the US are beginning to stabilize, but warned that they could “slip towards conflict or confrontation”, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Xi also chided Biden that the US “does not eliminate risks, but creates risks” by suppressing China’s trade and technological development and by adding new entities to the US sanctions list.

The Biden administration has imposed bans on the sale of certain technologies to Chinese companies, citing risks to national security. Beijing has accused Washington of “weaponizing” economic and trade issues.

In Tuesday’s phone call, Biden told Xi that the US “will continue to take the necessary steps to prevent advanced American technologies from being used to undermine national security without unduly limiting trade and investment,” he said. White House.

The conversation between the two leaders lasted one hour and 45 minutes.

Biden and Xi agreed in November to reopen military communications and cooperate to reduce fentanyl production. They had not spoken on the phone since July 2022. After the November meeting, Biden told reporters that he had not changed his view that Xi was a dictator, a comment that angered China.

Taiwan

Beijing considers Taiwan, the autonomous island with democratic elections, to be part of its territory and has recently abandoned language about a “peaceful reunification”. Taiwan strongly opposes China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide its future.

Taiwan’s current vice president, Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing considers a separatist, won the presidency in January elections, and Beijing has increased pressure on Taiwan ahead of his inauguration, scheduled for May.

Xi urged Washington to translate “Biden’s commitment not to support Taiwan’s independence” into concrete actions, Xinhua also reported.

Russia

Biden and Xi also discussed concerns about China’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, its economic trade practices, human rights abuses in Xinjiang and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, the White House said.

South China Sea

The American president also warned Beijing about the escalation of confrontations in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely, in violation of international law.

A senior administration official previously said Biden would express concern about the PRC’s (China, no) “destabilizing actions in the South China Sea, including recent dangerous action by the PRC Coast Guard against routine maritime operations by Philippines”.

Signs of improving relations between the two superpowers

Biden and Xi continued their talks in an attempt to patch up a rocky period in relations, which took a turn for the worse after a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon flew over the United States and was shot down by a US fighter jet last year.

Relations have shown signs of improvement in recent months as both sides have taken steps to restore channels of communication after ties between the two global superpowers hit their lowest level in decades.

“The two leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship through high-level diplomacy and working-level consultations in the coming weeks and months,” the White House said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan in January. Another meeting followed in February with the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will also go to China in April.

Biden and Xi also discussed ways to manage competition, avoid conflict and keep lines of communication open.

The two leaders also talked about a number of areas where US and Chinese interests align, including efforts to combat drug trafficking, concerns about artificial intelligence, resuming communication between their militaries and efforts to combat climate change.

Photo: Profimedia Images

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