Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping exchange warnings over Taiwan

COMBO-US-CHINA-DIPLOMACY-BIDEN-XI
AFP via Getty Images
Josh Salisbury29 July 2022

Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have warned each other over Taiwan in a two-hour phone call.

According to a read-out of the call, Mr Xi told Mr Biden: “Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this."

However, the US President said policy on Taiwan had not changed and that Washington strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo.

China claims Taiwan to be part of China, and Mr Xi has vowed to bring it under Beijing’s control by force if necessary.

Tensions have increased ahead of a possible visit to Taiwan by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China has warned of “serious consequences” if she were to proceed with such a visit, which would make her the most senior US politician to travel to Taiwan since 1997.

Washington follows a "one-China policy" that recognizes Beijing, not Taipei, diplomatically.

However, it is also committed to providing democratic Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and pressure has mounted in Congress for more explicit support.

A screen displays images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, while broadcasting news about their recent call at a shopping mall in Hong Kong
A screen displays images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden
REUTERS

The White House said the long-scheduled call was part of the administration’s efforts to deepen lines of communication with China and "responsibly manage our differences."

During Thursday’s phone call, Mr Biden and Mr Xi also discussed arranging a possible face-to-face meeting, according to a senior Biden administration official. They described the call as "direct" and "honest".

When Mr Biden was vice-president he hosted Mr Xi during a visit to the US in 2015, but they have not met in person during Mr Biden’s presidency.

Some analysts believe  Mr Xi has an interest in avoiding escalation as he seeks an unprecedented third term in office this year.

Others say playing up the Taiwan issue could serve as a domestic distraction from China’s slowing economy.

Following the call, Taiwan thanked Mr Biden for his support and said it would continue to deepen its security partnership with the United States.

While highlighting Taiwan, both sides also discussed the importance of economic coordination, according to read-outs.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in