Beijing/Washington: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Joe Biden that to approach and define China-US relations in terms of strategic competition and view China as the primary rival and the most serious long-term challenge would be misperceiving China-US relations and misreading China’s development. These, he said, would mislead the people of the two countries and the international community.
In a phone call on the evening of July 28, 2022 (Beijing time), the two Presidents had a conversation over the course of about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Biden had made the request for the phone call.
This was the fifth time the two presidents have spoken since President Biden came into office. Biden, who was in the Oval Office for the call, had the National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan; Secretary of State Blinken; Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer; Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell; and Senior Director Laura Rosenberger, in the room.
“The call this morning (Washington time) follows the two leaders’ virtual conversation back in March and builds on a series of recent engagements between the National Security Advisor, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Chairman (of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark) Milley, and Secretary (of the Treasury Jane) Yellen, and their PRC [People’s Republic of China] counterparts,” the White House official said.
It may be mentioned that China and the United States have differences over Russia’s war in Ukraine, tariffs and Taiwan. The US has also expressed its concerns over what it terms as “aggressive” Chinese action in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Chinese side said the two Presidents had a candid communication and exchange on China-US relations and issues of interest. The Americans said overall, the conversation was “substantive, it was in-depth, and it was candid”.
The conversation basically took three main parts:
First was a detailed discussion of areas where the two countries can work together, with a particular focus on climate change and health security, as well as counternarcotics. The two teams will be following up on these areas. President Biden also raised the need to resolve the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China, as well as longstanding concerns about human rights.
Second, the two leaders exchanged views on Russia’s war in Ukraine and the global impacts it is having.
Third, they had an in-depth discussion of Taiwan. They discussed, you know, as they always do, areas of difference. And the two, I would say, on Taiwan had a — had a direct and honest discussion.
President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to our One China Policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances. He underscored to President Xi the United States’ opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo by either side and commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The two discussed that the United States and China have differences when it comes to Taiwan, but that they have managed those for over 40 years and that keeping an open line of communication on this issue is essential to doing so.
Xi elaborated on China’s “principled” position on the Taiwan question and claimed that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to “one and the same China”. He told Biden that the three Sino-US joint communiqués embody the political commitments made by the two sides, and the one-China principle is the political foundation for China-US relations.
“China firmly opposes separatist moves toward “Taiwan independence” and interference by external forces, and never allows any room for “Taiwan independence” forces in whatever form,” Xi said. He made it clear that the position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent, and resolutely safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. “The public opinion cannot be defied,” he said and warned that those who play with fire will perish by it. “It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this. The US should honour the one-China principle and implement the three joint communiqués both in word and in deed,” he said.
The two sides stressed the need to maintain communication at all levels and make good use of existing channels to promote bilateral cooperation. Both also discussed the value of meeting face-to-face and agreed to have their teams follow up to find a mutually agreeable time to do so.
Xi pointed out that in the world today, the trends of turbulence and transformation are evolving, and deficits in development and security are looming large. He said that faced with a world of change and disorder, the international community and the people around the world expect China and the US to take the lead in upholding world peace and security and in promoting global development and prosperity. “This is the responsibility of China and the US as two major countries,” he told Biden. He further said that the two sides need to maintain communication at all levels and make good use of existing channels to promote bilateral cooperation.
Xi also underscored the need for China and the US to maintain communication on such important issues as coordinating macroeconomic policies, keeping global industrial and supply chains stable, and protecting global energy and food security.
“Attempts at decoupling or severing supply chains in defiance of underlying laws would not help boost the US economy. They would only make the world economy more vulnerable,” he warned. According to him, the two sides needed to work for the de-escalation of regional hotspots, help rid the world of COVID-19 as early as possible, reduce the risk of stagflation and recession, and uphold the international system centring on the UN and the international order underpinned by international law.
President Biden said that the world was at a critical moment and the US-China cooperation would benefit not only the two peoples but also the people of all countries.
The Chinese side said the US hopes to keep an open line of communication with China to enhance mutual understanding and avoid misperception and miscalculation and will work with China where the interests of the two countries align and, at the same time, properly manage differences.
The two Presidents exchanged views on issues including the Ukraine crisis. President Xi reiterated China’s position.
– global bihari bureau
