President Biden spoke by phone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday morning to discuss a range of combative and cooperative issues as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises, U.S. and Chinese officials said. was intended to address.
Topics raised by Biden included the fight against drug production, the conflict in the Middle East, North Korea's nuclear program and China's support for Russia during the war in Ukraine, according to a White House summary of the call.
A senior administration official, who spoke to a small group of reporters on the customary condition of anonymity on Monday night, said Biden intended the meeting to be a “confirmation” rather than a discussion with a concrete outcome. Press conference in Washington. But it was a pivotal political year, a key marker as the two countries seek to stabilize relations that hit a multi-decade low last year.
The official said the call came days before Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen's visit to China, which will be followed shortly by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. These are the first visits to China by a cabinet minister this year. Both officials visited Beijing last year to try to stabilize relations after anger erupted over China's probe balloon incident.
Biden and Xi have been trying to prevent any eruption between the countries since last summer. Biden is trying to focus on the close race for re-election this year. Mr. Xi is grappling with a range of domestic issues, including an economic downturn and corruption in the military's top ranks.
Biden and Xi held a face-to-face summit in November at a leafy mansion in the San Francisco suburb of Woodside. The two also met on the Indonesian island of Bali in November 2022, their first face-to-face meeting as national leaders, and their final telephone conversation in July 2022.
A senior U.S. official told reporters Tuesday's call was part of the U.S. effort toward modest goals of maintaining contact and managing the competition “responsibly.”
According to a White House summary, Biden raised two issues regarding Chinese aggression in the Pacific: Taiwan and the South China Sea.
The Biden administration has warned China to rein in Coast Guard vessels spraying water on Philippine supply ships in disputed areas of the South China Sea. And the United States said the Chinese military was using jets and ships in provocative ways near Taiwan. Taiwan is a de facto independent island, and its status has become a major point of contention between the US and Beijing governments.
However, Mr. Biden repeatedly insisted to Mr. Xi that the United States adheres to the “One China Policy,” which recognizes the People's Republic of China as China's only legitimate government, but made no mention of the status of Taiwan. There wasn't.
According to a description of the call released by the Chinese government, during the call, Xi “stressed that the Taiwan issue is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.'' According to the statement, Mr. Xi called for “concrete action” from the United States to demonstrate his determination not to support Taiwan's independence.
Like previous Chinese leaders, Mr. Xi has said Taiwan should be brought under Communist Party rule, by force if necessary. Biden has said four times so far that the U.S. military would protect Taiwan if China tried to invade. These comments were a departure from Washington's decades-long effort to leave ambiguous whether the U.S. military would protect Taiwan from Chinese attack.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an interview with the New York Times in Taipei on Thursday that China has been steadily increasing its military activities around Taiwan, as well as cyber espionage and the promotion of online disinformation, all of which are considered “grey.” ”. A “zone” invasion that does not lead to full war. “The United States needs to work closely with Taiwan,” he said.
In the phone conversation, Mr. Xi also criticized the “endless measures” taken by the United States to suppress China's economy, science and technology, according to a Chinese government summary. Biden has imposed restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductors to China.
According to the newspaper, Mr. Biden told Mr. Xi that the government “will take the necessary steps to prevent advanced U.S. technology from being used for purposes that undermine national security, without unduly restricting trade or investment.” “We will continue to do so,” he said, criticizing China's “unfair trade policies.” Summary of the White House phone call.
A senior U.S. official said Mr. Biden wanted to stress to Mr. Xi that China should not continue to help Russia rebuild its military industrial base. Russia's arms production is strong despite economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Stable production of ammunition and missiles and arms assistance from North Korea. South Korea and Iran are supporting Russia in Ukraine.
China has regained some areas of trade that European countries have suspended, which has allowed Russia to rebuild its weapons production capacity, the official said.
Mr. Biden also wanted Mr. Xi to help curb attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthi military group. The Houthis say they will continue attacking Israel as long as it wages war against Iran. Hamas in Gaza, U.S. officials said. The Biden administration is pressuring China to ask Iran to rein in the Houthis, especially since Chinese ships also pass through the Red Sea.
The official said Biden wants to further cooperate with China on several issues, including export restrictions on chemicals used to make fentanyl, high-level military talks, and discussions over artificial intelligence and climate change policy. .
megan tobin I contributed a report from Taipei, Taiwan.