WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held “ candid ” phone addresses on Thursday, with Xi advising the US leader not to “ play with fire ” on Taiwan, according to Chinese state media.
The virtual peak lasting over two hours took place as Beijing and Washington decreasingly risk open conflict over the tone- ruling islet, which China considers part of its home.
“ Those who play with fire will ultimately get burned, ” Xi was quoted as telling Biden in reference to Taiwan, according to the state- run Xinhua news agency– using the same language he’d employed when they spoke last November.
“ I hope the US side completely understand that, ” Xi told Biden.
“ The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan issue is harmonious, ” Xi was quoted as saying. “ It’s the establishment will of the over1.4 billion Chinese people to forcefully guard China’s public sovereignty and territorial integrity. ” While this was Biden’s fifth talk with Xi since getting chairman a time and a half agone, it’s getting hard to mask heightening distrust between the two countries amid a trade war and pressures over Taiwan.
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The rearmost flashpoint is a possible trip by Biden supporter and speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to the islet, which has its own distinct popular government.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby had said “ pressures over China’s aggressive, coercive geste in the Indo- Pacific ” would be high on the docket — using the US administration’s term for the Asia- Pacific region.
Although US officers constantly visit Taiwan, separated by a narrow strip of water from the Chinese landmass, Beijing considers a Pelosi trip as a major provocation. She’s alternate in line to the US administration and given her position may travel with military transport.
Washington will “ bear the consequences ” if the trip, which Pelosi has yet to confirm, goes ahead, China advised on Wednesday.
General Mark Milley, president of the US common chiefs of staff, told journalists that if Pelosi asks “ for military support, we will do what’s necessary to insure a safe, safe conduct of their business ”.
And the disagreement around Pelosi is the tip of an icicle, with US officers stewing that Xi is milling use of force to put control over popular Taiwan.
Biden’s antithetical commentary on whether the United States would defend Taiwan he said in May that it would, before the White House claimed there was no change in the hands- off “ strategic nebulosity ” policy haven’t helped the pressure.
No face- to- face
Biden prides himself on a close relationship with Xi going back times but in large part due to Covid travel restrictions — the two have yet to meet face- to- face since he took office.
According to the White House, Biden’s principal thing is to establish “ rails ” for the two superpowers.
This is meant to insure that while they sprucely differ on republic, and are decreasingly rivals on the geopolitical stage, they can avoid open conflict.
