Biden And China’s Xi Jinping Have First Phone Call Since July 2022
KEY FACTS
The two discussed a range of issues, including China’s increasingly aggressive military tactics aimed at Taiwan, Beijing’s relationship with Russia and “continued concerns about the PRC’s unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices,” according to a White House readout of the call.
The call comes after Biden and Xi met in California in November for the first time in a year, after which the president said the two would “keep the lines of communication open,” but maintained criticism of his Chinese counterpart, telling reporters he still considers Xi a “dictator” and would operate under a “trust but verify” strategy when it comes to his dealings with China.
KEY BACKGROUND
The phone call is their first since July 2022 and comes days before both Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are set to travel to China—Yellen on Wednesday and Blinken in the coming weeks, officials said. In addition to China’s close relationship with Russia and its stance toward Taiwan, the presidents also discussed China’s commitment to tamp down on the flow of fentanyl and the fast-moving development of artificial intelligence. The call comes a day after the New York Times reported Chinese actors are interfering in the 2024 presidential election to undermine Biden. It’s unclear if the report was addressed in the call. A White House official told reporters the U.S. doesn’t “ever really take the Chinese at their word when they say they will or will not do something” when asked by a reporter on a press call previewing the discussion about Xi’s pledge in November not to interfere in the election, adding “it is about verifying, as the president says.”
TANGENT
The call comes as former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou is visiting China, where he’s expected to meet with Xi next week, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources. Chinese military maneuvers in the South China Sea, designed to intimidate Taiwan, have heightened tensions between China and the U.S., which provides military support to Taiwan. The U.S. does not consider the self-governed island independent from China, Biden said earlier this year, but supports its ability to elect its own leaders outside of the Chinese government.
KEY BACKGROUND
The phone call is their first since July 2022 and comes days before both Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are set to travel to China—Yellen on Wednesday and Blinken in the coming weeks, officials said. In addition to China’s close relationship with Russia and its stance toward Taiwan, the presidents also discussed China’s commitment to tamp down on the flow of fentanyl and the fast-moving development of artificial intelligence. The call comes a day after the New York Times reported Chinese actors are interfering in the 2024 presidential election to undermine Biden. It’s unclear if the report was addressed in the call. A White House official told reporters the U.S. doesn’t “ever really take the Chinese at their word when they say they will or will not do something” when asked by a reporter on a press call previewing the discussion about Xi’s pledge in November not to interfere in the election, adding “it is about verifying, as the president says.”
TANGENT
The call comes as former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou is visiting China, where he’s expected to meet with Xi next week, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources. Chinese military maneuvers in the South China Sea, designed to intimidate Taiwan, have heightened tensions between China and the U.S., which provides military support to Taiwan. The U.S. does not consider the self-governed island independent from China, Biden said earlier this year, but supports its ability to elect its own leaders outside of the Chinese government.
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