Biden raises human rights, Xi warns of Taiwan’s “red line” in three-hour talk Reuters

By Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom and Yew Lun Tian

WASHINGTON / BEIJING (Reuters) – US President Joe Biden pressured his Chinese counterpart on human rights practices in Beijing in a more than three-hour call on Monday, and Xi Jinping warned that China would respond to Taiwan’s provocations, authorities said.

The two sides considered the dialogue between the leaders of the world’s largest economies to be honest and straightforward as both sides tried to lower the temperature and avoid conflict.

The talks did not seem to yield immediate results, but the two leaders allowed their relationship to move away from the icy confrontation.

They discussed North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, global energy markets, trade and competition, climate, military issues, the pandemic, and other areas that often disagree.

Xik, who has not left his country since COVID-19 spread around the world nearly two years ago, compared the two countries to “two giant ships sailing at sea” that needed to be stabilized to avoid collisions, Chinese state media reported.

“I hope, Mr. President, that you can exercise political leadership to return U.S. policy to China in a rational and pragmatic way,” Xik Bideni told Xinhua.

Biden also spoke about avoiding conflict.

“It seems to me that our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States is not to turn the competition between our countries into a conflict, intentionally or unintentionally,” Biden said in a brief exchange seen by American journalists. “Just a simple and straightforward competition.”

The two leaders had a “healthy discussion,” a senior U.S. official said afterward. Biden stressed the importance of China fulfilling its commitments in a trade negotiated with Donald Trump’s predecessor Biden, the U.S. official said.

China is lagging behind in its commitment to buy an additional $ 200 billion in U.S. goods and services, but Chinese officials told Xik Biden that it was important to avoid politicizing the issue.

The two leaders also discussed measures to address the world’s energy supply, U.S. officials said. Chinese officials said Xi agreed to renovate “a fast-track route” for U.S. business officials to come to China.

There has been no controversial question as to whether the U.S. will send White House envoys to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, the U.S. official said.

TAIWAN RED LINE

The big differences (OTC 🙂 around Taiwan remain, after the talks were clear.

Biden reiterated that the U.S. has long backed the “only China” policy that is officially recognized in Beijing rather than Taipei, saying it “opposes unilateral efforts to change the state of the Taipei Strait or undermine the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.” said the White House.

Xi said those seeking independence from Taiwan and those in the U.S. are “playing with fire,” according to Xinhua.

“China is patient and looks for a peaceful rally with honesty and effort, but if Taiwan’s secessionists provoke, or even cross, the red line, we must take decisive action.”

A U.S. official said “there was nothing new set up for railings or other understandings” in Taiwan, although Biden expressed “very clear concerns.”

Xi opposes Washington’s efforts to expand Taiwan’s place in the international system, and Biden’s recent comments also sparked tensions that the U.S. would defend Taiwan in some cases.

China claims an autonomous island for itself. Beijing has vowed to bring the island under Chinese control by force if necessary.

The Taiwanese foreign ministry, in response to the talks, said it hopes China can assume its “common responsibility” to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and resolve the talks through dialogue.

Biden raised other issues that Beijing considers to be its internal concerns, including the management of Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, where China’s policies are often punished by foreign rights groups.

Biden and X have not had a face-to-face meeting since Biden became president and the last time they spoke by phone was in September. The U.S. president smiled broadly when the Chinese president appeared on a large screen in the White House conference room.

“At least they’re talking,” Singapore economist Wellian Wiranto of OCBC Bank wrote in interviews. “That seems to be the main expectation of global markets for a specific outcome, or lack thereof.”