FILE PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) waves as he walks with U.S. President Joe Biden (R) at Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
Published April 3, 2024
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden sought to manage tensions over the South China Sea and Taiwan’s May presidential inauguration in a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, their first direct talks since meeting in November.
Biden used the call to emphasize “the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” the White House said in a statement.
Xi said ties between the China and the U.S. are beginning to stabilize, but warned that they could “slide into conflict or confrontation,” according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told a briefing after the call that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken would travel to China in the coming weeks. That follows a trip this week by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
The nearly two-hour call between the leaders – described by Kirby as “business-like” – comes ahead of meetings next week between Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as China flexes its military might.
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SOURCE: www.inquirer.net
RELATED: Biden to speak to China’s Xi on Taiwan, Ukraine, Philippines
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks, following a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, during a press conference in Nantucket, Massachusetts, U.S., November 26, 2023. (Reuters/Tom Brenner)
Published April 3, 2024
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold their first direct talks Tuesday since meeting in November, with Biden looking to keep tensions from mounting ahead of Taiwan’s presidential inauguration in May.
Biden will use the call to reaffirm the U.S.’s support for Beijing’s “One China policy” and reiterate the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, said a senior administration official, who did not wish to be named.
Biden and Xi agreed in November to reopen military communications and cooperate to curb fentanyl production. They haven’t spoken on the phone since July 2022. After November’s meeting, Biden told reporters he had not changed his view that Xi is a dictator, a comment that irked China.
China regards Taiwan, a self-governed island with democratic elections, as part of its territory and recently dropped language about a “peaceful reunification” from its budget. Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.
Taiwan’s current Vice President Lai Ching-te, who Beijing views a separatist, won the presidency in January and Beijing has increased pressure on Taiwan ahead of the inauguration in May.
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SOURCE: www.philstar.com
RELATED: Biden speaks to China’s Xi on Taiwan, Ukraine, Philippines
Published April 3, 2024
WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first direct talks on Tuesday since meeting in November, with Biden looking to keep tensions from mounting ahead of Taiwan’s presidential inauguration in May.
Biden used the call to emphasize “the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden and Xi agreed in November to reopen military communications and cooperate to curb fentanyl production. They had not spoken on the phone since July 2022. After November’s meeting, Biden told reporters he had not changed his view that Xi is a dictator, a comment that irked China.
China regards Taiwan, a self-governed island with democratic elections, as part of its territory and recently dropped language about a “peaceful reunification” from its budget. Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.
