Joe Biden has held a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in his latest attempt to defuse tensions over Taiwan, fentanyl, AI and election interference
- Biden spoke with Xi for the first time in almost five months on Tuesday morning
- Both leaders say they want to reduce tensions between the two nuclear nations
- Biden is said to raise concerns about Chinese support for Russia’s war in Ukraine
President Joe Biden held a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday morning in his latest effort to reduce tensions between the world’s two most powerful countries.
It was their first conversation since meeting in California almost five months ago.
And it comes ahead of another potential flashpoint next month: the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president.
A senior government official told reporters during a briefing call that the aim was to strengthen lines of communication.
Particular concerns include the possibility of election interference.
The White House confirmed Tuesday that President Joe Biden had spoken by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first conversation in nearly five months
“As with any message we convey to China or to other countries, it is one of continued amplification of concerns,” the official said.
‘And I don’t think we ever really take the Chinese at their word when they say they will or won’t do something. It’s about verifying, as the president says.
Other topics on the agenda included counter-narcotics cooperation to stem the flow of deadly fentanyl, military-to-military contacts, climate change and the potential risks of artificial intelligence.
Biden was also expected to express concerns about Beijing’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“The two leaders agreed to regularly maintain open lines of communication to responsibly manage competition and avoid unintended conflicts,” the official said before the call.
“And this call is really just part of that ongoing effort.”
The two leaders were also expected to discuss Taiwan ahead of the inauguration of Lai Ching-te, who has pledged to secure independence from Beijing.
While Biden would emphasize Washington’s “One China” stance and recognize Beijing’s claim to the island, he also planned to warn against any attempt to take Taiwan by force.
One problem that was not highlighted in advance was TikTok. The wildly popular app is in the eyes of US lawmakers who are considering a plan to ban the app if its Chinese owners sell their shares.
Last month, 32 Chinese warplanes were detected over Taiwan in just 24 hours, the country’s Defense Ministry said. Pictured: File photo of a Chinese jet near an American fighter plane
President Joe Biden last spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November at the Filoli Estate in California on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative conference
More high-level meetings will follow after Tuesday’s call.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to China on Thursday and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has a trip planned in the coming weeks.
Earlier this year, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the November meeting had underscored the need for more contacts between senior officials from both sides.
In San Francisco, the two leaders agreed to try to defuse tensions over a range of issues, including Chinese military activity around Taiwan and US export controls on a range of advanced technology.
Those tensions had pushed relations to their lowest point in decades.
The region will be in the spotlight at the White House next week, when Biden will host Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Chinese influence is expected to be at the top of the agenda.