WASHINGTON – The president of U.S, Joe Bidenspoke with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, by telephone this Tuesday morning, the 2nd, the first contact between the two leaders since November. The presidents discussed questions about Taiwantechnological security and Chinese support for Russia, in a call designed to demonstrate a return to regular dialogue between the leaders of two powers embroiled in recent tensions.
Topics raised by Biden included combating narcotics production, the conflict in Middle Eastthe nuclear program of North Korea and China’s support for Russia in your war in Ukraine, according to a summary of the call released by the White House. The highlight of the conversation, and the origin of the greatest friction between Washington and Beijing, was the issue of Taiwan.
Xi told Biden that the two countries should adhere to the “no clashes, no confrontation” line as one of the principles for this year. “We must prioritize stability, not provoke problems, not exceed limits, but maintain the overall stability of China-US relations,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).
Biden intended the conversation to be a “check-in” rather than a discussion with concrete results, said an administration official who spoke to a small group of reporters Monday night on condition of anonymity. But it was a milestone during a crucial political year for Biden and as countries try to stabilize a relationship that reached its worst levels in many decades last year.
The call took place days before a trip to China by the Treasury secretary, Janet Yellenwhich will be followed by the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. These would be the first visits by cabinet members to China this year; Both officials traveled to Beijing last year to stabilize relations after tempers flared during the Chinese spy balloon episode.
Since the middle of last year, Biden and Xi have sought to avoid any escalations between the two nations. Biden is trying to focus on his tight race for re-election this year. As Xi grapples with a range of domestic issues, including a troubled economy and corruption at the highest levels of his military.
The two held an in-person meeting in November at a lush estate in Woodside, outside San Francisco. The two also met in November 2022 in Bali, Indonesia — their first in-person meeting as national leaders — and had their last conference call in July 2022.
Taiwan
Biden raised two issues about China’s aggression in the Pacific: Taiwan and the South China Seaaccording to the White House summary.
The Biden administration has warned China to rein in coast guard ships, which have been firing water cannons at Philippine refueling ships in a contested area of the South China Sea. And the United States said the Chinese military is using jets and ships in a provocative manner near Taiwan, the independent island whose status is the biggest point of conflict between Washington and Beijing.
The Taiwan issue was discussed a month before the inauguration of Lai Ching-te, the island’s elected president, which promised to safeguard its independence from China and further align it with other democracies. Biden reaffirmed the United States’ long-standing “one China” policy and reiterated that the country opposes any coercive means to bring Taiwan under Beijing’s control. China considers Taiwan an internal matter and has vigorously protested U.S. support for the island.
Xi “emphasized that the Taiwan issue is the first red line that should not be crossed in China-US relations,” according to a description of the call released by the Chinese government. Xi called for “concrete actions” by the United States to demonstrate a commitment not to support Taiwanese independence, the description said.
Like previous Chinese leaders, Xi has said that Taiwan must be brought under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, by force if necessary. Biden has said four times that US troops will defend Taiwan if China tries to invade. These remarks constituted a diversion from the U.S. government’s decades-long efforts to leave it ambiguous whether the American military would defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack.
Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister, said in an interview with The New York Times in Taipei on Thursday that China has been steadily increasing its military activity around the island, as well as its cyberespionage efforts and promoting disinformation online, all amounting to a “gray zone” of aggression before an all-out war. “We need the U.S. to work more closely with Taiwan,” he said.
Technology
On the call, Xi also criticized the “endless stream of measures” taken by the US to try to suppress China’s economy, science and technology, the Chinese government’s summary said. Biden has imposed limits on the export of advanced semiconductors to China.
Biden told Xi that his administration “will continue to take necessary steps to prevent advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security without unduly limiting trade and investment” and criticized China’s “unfair trade policies,” according to with the White House briefing.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby revealed that the president Biden also reiterated his desire for TikTok to change ownership. American lawmakers’ angst over Chinese ownership of the popular social media app TikTok has prompted new legislation that would ban the app if its China-based owner, ByteDancedid not sell its stakes in the platform within six months of the bill’s enactment.
Biden, in the call, also reinforced warnings to Xi against interference in the 2024 elections in the US, as well as against ongoing malicious cyberattacks against critical US infrastructure.
He also raised concerns about human rights in China, including Hong Kong’s restrictive new national security law and treatment of minority groups, and addressed the plight of Americans detained in or barred from leaving China.
Support for Russia
The Democratic president also pressed China on its defense relationship with Russiawhich seeks to rebuild its industrial base as it moves forward with its invasion of Ukraine.
Russian arms production has been robust despite economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries after President Vladimir Putin having ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The constant production of ammunition and missiles – as well as weapons aid from North Korea and Iran – has helped Russia in Ukraine.
China has resumed some areas of trade that European nations had stopped, and this has allowed Russia to rebuild its weapons production capabilities, the US government official told the NYT.
Biden also wanted Xi to help curb attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi forces, an Iran-backed military group that says it will continue attacks as Israel pursues its war against Hamas in Gaza, the US official said. USA. The Biden administration has been pressing China to ask Iran to rein in the Houthis, especially as Chinese ships also pass through the Red Sea.
The official said Biden would like to further cooperate with China on several issues: limiting the export of chemicals used to make fentanyl, senior-level military talks, discussions on artificial intelligence and climate change policy./AP, NYT and W.Post
Tags: Biden Jinping talk phone Taiwan TikTok Chinese support Russia
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