United States President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping spoke for more than two hours on Thursday about the growing tensions over Taiwan, the acrimonious trade disputes and the bid to maintain the balance between the two powers.
(Also read: Beijing tense relationship with the US before talk between Biden and Xi Jinping)Amid tensions that are difficult to hide, the conversation lasted two hours and 17 minutes according to the White House and was the fifth virtual summit between the two since Biden took office a year and a half ago.
Beijing and Washington were already at loggerheads over trade, and now the disagreements between them over Taiwan have increased.
“Tensions over China’s aggressive and coercive behavior in Asia-Pacific” will be high on the agenda, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
(It may interest you: Blinken and Lavrov will speak for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine)
The latest source of friction to date has been a possible trip by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
China considers the island as one of its historical provinces and claims its sovereignty. It therefore opposes any initiative that gives the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy and any official contact between Taiwan and other countries.
Although high-ranking American officials frequently visit Taiwan, China considers the trip by Pelosi, one of the state’s leading personalities, to be a major provocation.
Washington will have to “assume all the consequences” of this possible visit, which Pelosi has not yet confirmed, Beijing warned on Wednesday. General Mark Milley, chief of staff of the United States, told the press that if Nancy Pelosi asked for “military support”, he would “do what is necessary” to ensure that it passes safely.
‘safeguards’
The tensions around this trip are only part of the problem. The United States fears that President Xi is considering the use of force to impose control over Taiwan.
Until a while ago, an invasion was considered unlikely, but observers are changing their minds and no longer rule it out.
Joe Biden’s contradictory statements on Taiwan (in May he said the United States would defend the island, and later the White House insisted it was maintaining a so-called “strategic ambiguity” policy) did not help.
Although Biden boasts of having a close relationship with Xi, they have not seen each other since he took office, although in large part it has been due to the covid-19 restrictions.
I have no decision to announce regarding tariffs.
According to the White House, Biden’s main objective is to establish “safeguards” for the two superpowers to avoid open conflict.
Biden “wants to make sure” that “the lines of communication with President Xi on all issues remain open.”whether it’s the ones that we agree on or the ones that we have significant difficulties with, so that you can always pick up the phone and speak frankly,” Kirby said.
Asked if Biden could lift some of the 25% tariffs imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods, the spokesman said no decision had yet been made.
“We believe … that the tariffs put in place by your predecessor were poorly designed. We believe they have increased costs for American families and small businesses, as well as ranchers,” he said, but also criticized “harmful business practices.” from China”.
“I have no decision to announce regarding tariffs,” he concluded.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from AFP
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