Biden talks to Xi about conflicts, from Ukraine to the Pacific

WASHINGTON – The President Joe Biden talked to Xi Jinping, The Chinese leader, in a call Tuesday morning that was intended to address a range of combative and cooperative issues as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises, U.S. and Chinese officials said.

Topics raised by Biden included combating narcotics production, 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.

Biden intended the conversation to be a “checkrather than a discussion with concrete results, said a senior administration official, who spoke to a small group of reporters Monday evening on condition of anonymity, as is customary at such briefings in Washington.

But it was a crucial signal during a crucial political year and as countries try stabilize a relationship which last year reached its lowest point in decades.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the two leaders had a “candid and constructive conversation,” which he said also included topics of unfair trade policies, wrongfully detained American citizens and TikTok.

“We believe there is no substitute regular communication at the leadership level to effectively manage this complex and often tense bilateral relationship,” Kirby said.

“Both presidents agree: pick up the phone and talk when necessary.”

The phone call took place days before a trip to China by the Treasury Minister, Janet Yellenwho will be followed shortly after by the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkensaid the official.

These would be the first visits to China by cabinet members this year.

Both officials traveled to Beijing last year to stabilize relations after tempers flared during the episode Chinese spy balloon.

Containment

Since the summer, Biden and Xi have sought to avoid any flare-ups between their nations.

Biden is trying to focus on his close race for re-election this year.

Xi is grappling with a series of internal problemsincluding a troubled economy and corruption in the highest ranks of its military.

Biden and Xi held a face-to-face summit in November at a lush estate in Woodside, outside San Francisco.

The two also met in November 2022 at Bali, Indonesia, their first in-person summit as national leaders, and had the last call in July 2022.

The senior U.S. official told reporters that Tuesday’s call was part of U.S. efforts toward the modest goals of maintaining contacts and managing competition.”responsibly“.

Themes

Biden raised two questions about China’s aggression in the Pacific:

Taiwan and the South China Sea, according to the White House summary.

The Biden administration has warned China to rein in its coast guard ships, which have fired water cannons at Philippine supply ships in a disputed area of ​​the South China Sea.

And the United States has said the Chinese military is using planes and ships provocatively near Taiwan, the de facto independent island whose status is the biggest sticking point between Washington and Beijing.

However, Biden reiterated to Xi that the United States respects his policy “A Chinese man,” which recognizes the mainland People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate government of China, without saying anything about it State of Taiwan.

During the phone call, Xi “underlined that the Taiwan issue is the first red line not to be crossed in China-US relations. relations,” according to the description of the appeal released by the Chinese government.

Xi called for “concrete actions” from the United States to demonstrate its commitment they do not support Taiwan independenceaccording to the description.

Like previous Chinese leaders, Xi has said Taiwan must be brought under Chinese rule, by force if necessary.

Biden has said four times that American troops will defend Taiwan if China tries to invade.

Those comments represented a departure from the U.S. government’s decades-long effort to leave ambiguity whether the US military would defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack.

Joseph WuTaiwan’s foreign minister said this in an interview The New York Times Thursday in Taipei that China had steadily increased its military activity around Taiwan, as well as its cyber espionage efforts and promotion of online disinformation, which amounted to “gray violence”. local aggressions” which do not amount to a total war. “We need the United States to work more closely with Taiwan,” she said.

In the call, Xi also criticized the “endless stream of measures” taken by the United States to try to suppress China’s economy, science and technology, according to the Chinese government summary.

Biden imposed limits on the export of advanced semiconductors to China.

Biden told Xi that his government “will continue to take necessary measures to prevent advanced American technologies from being used undermine our national securitywithout unduly restricting trade and investment,” according to the White House summary of the appeal.

Kirby said the two leaders had discussions Tick ​​tock and that Biden reiterated his concerns about ownership of the social media app.

The House voted last month to force the Chinese company that owns the app to sell it or face a nationwide ban.

The bill is now pending in the Senate, but Biden has said he will sign it if it reaches his desk.

“He made it clear to President Xi that it was not about banning the app, but about our interest in it dispose of it so that the national security interests and data security of the American people can be protected,” Kirby said.

War

The senior US official said Biden wanted to highlight this to Xi China must not continue to help Russia rebuild its military-industrial base.

Russian weapons production has been strong despite economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries after the presidency Vladimir Putin order the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The constant production of ammunition and missiles, as well as arms aid from North Korea AND Iran is helping Russia in Ukraine.

China has resumed some trade areas that European nations had severed, and that has allowed Russia to rebuild its weapons production capabilities, the official said.

Biden also wanted Xi to help stop attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi forces, an Iranian-backed military group that says it will continue attacks as long as Israel carries out its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the U.S. official said.

The Biden administration has been pressuring China to ask Iran to rein in the Houthis, especially as Chinese ships also pass through the Red Sea.

The official said Biden would like to continue to cooperate with China on several issues:

limiting the export of chemicals used to make fentanyl, high-level military talks, discussions on artificial intelligence and climate change policy.

c.2024 The New York Times Company