Amid simmering economic and geopolitical tensions, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Joe Biden against "playing with fire" over Taiwan during their fifth phone discussion as leaders.
According to Chinese state media, Xi reiterated to Biden that the United States should uphold the "one-China concept" and that China vehemently opposes Taiwanese independence as well as "intervention" by outside forces.Xi allegedly told Biden, "Those who dabble with fire will only get burned." We sincerely hope that the US side can understand this.
Biden informed Xi that US policy had not changed and that Washington "strongly opposes unilateral moves to disrupt the status quo or threaten peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," the body of water dividing the island from mainland China, according to a statement from the White House.
In the face of escalating global rivalry and tensions between the two countries over subjects including economic policy, global health, and human rights, the two countries had a lengthy phone conversation on Thursday that lasted more than two hours.
Beijing has most recently issued increasingly stern warnings on a planned travel to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, claiming that such a visit would be seen as provocative. Although China considers the self-governing island to be part of its territory and hasn't ruled out using force to further its objectives, the US provides the island with informal defensive support.Zhao Lijian, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, earlier this week warned that "forceful responses" would be given if the US insisted on following its own course and challenged China's fundamental principles. "The US shall be responsible for any resulting consequences."
Since Republican Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997 while House speaker, Pelosi would be the highest-ranking US elected figure to do so. According to US military sources, Pelosi visiting the island at this time is "not a good idea," Biden told reporters last week.
From the White House, Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett said that Biden spoke with Xi "to ease the diplomatic tensions that have been building for some time, but have heightened as a result of this probable visit" by Pelosi.
Biden also discussed a wide range of other delicate subjects, according to US sources, including China's "genocide and forced labor tactics" and its more aggressive military posture in the Asia Pacific.Confrontational summit
Later that day, a senior Biden administration official who spoke to reporters on the record said that Biden and Xi had discussed the possibility of meeting in person during their phone discussion. The last time the two presidents spoke was in March, just as Russia was starting its invasion of Ukraine.
As "one of the most critical bilateral relationships in the world today," US national security spokesperson John Kirby stated last week that it was crucial for Biden and Xi to communicate frequently.At a White House press conference on Wednesday, Kirby said that the president wanted to ensure that the channels of communication with President Xi remained open because they needed to. There are some problems where we can work together with China, and there are others where there will undoubtedly be conflict and strain.In a call with Biden, Xi stressed that "to approach and define China-US relations in terms of strategic competition and view China as the primary rival and the most serious long-term challenge would be misperceiving China-US relations and misreading China's development," the Chinese foreign affairs ministry added on Thursday.
Since assuming office a year ago, Biden has worked to wean the US off its reliance on Chinese manufacturers. He has supported legislation that Congress enacted this week that would encourage semiconductor businesses to construct more advanced facilities in the US.
In an effort to alleviate the impact of skyrocketing inflation on American households, Biden—who has maintained in place tariffs on numerous Chinese-made items created under his predecessor Donald Trump to preserve leverage over Beijing—is also debating whether to ease at least some of them.
The person from the US administration claimed that during the call on Thursday, the topic of tariffs was not raised.
As he seeks an unprecedented third term in office at a conference of China's ruling Communist Party anticipated later this year, some observers think Xi also has an interest in preventing an escalation.The risk of a significant crisis is "far above zero," according to Scott Kennedy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, and a call between Biden and Xi is crucial to avert an unwelcome confrontation.
No one wants a conflict right now, Kennedy told the Reuters news agency. "Beijing, Taipei, and Washington are full of people schooled in how to send and interpret signals communicating threats and reassurance.
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