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- BBC News World
image source, Reuters
The leaders of the United States and China spoke this Thursday.
In a call that lasted more than two hours, the presidents of the United States and China on Thursday exchanged warnings about the situation on the island of Taiwan.
American Joe Biden told this to his Chinese Premier Xi Jinping The US strongly opposes any unilateral action It can change the current situation in that region Beijing claims it owns it.
Biden noted that US policy on the island remains the same, supporting its autonomy.
Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that needs to become part of the country again, and has not ruled out using force to achieve this.
On this issue, he asked the American to respect Xi’s policy “One China”In addition to warning you that “He who plays with fire gets burned”.
The tension in this matter was increasing from the news of A projectGo to Taiwan By the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
The US State Department says Pelosi has not announced any trip, but China has warned of “severe consequences” if the senior Democrat pursues such a trip.
Last week, Biden told reporters that his country’s military intelligence “didn’t think it was a good idea” for such a visit, but the White House called the Chinese rhetoric “clearly pointless and unnecessary.”
Pelosi is the third in line for the presidency of the United States after the vice president. He will be the highest-ranking American politician to travel to Taipei Since 1997.
image source, Good pictures
Nancy Pelosi said she was going to visit Taiwan, a trip she postponed in April when she tested positive for Covid-19.
Face-to-face meeting
A senior official in Washington said Biden and Xi had discussed holding a face-to-face meeting.
While Biden was vice president under Barack Obama, he received Xi during the Chinese leader’s visit in 2015, but has since Not met in person.
The White House said the two leaders discussed a range of topics, including climate change and health care.
image source, Good pictures
Xi Jinping and Biden have met in the past, but not since he was the US president.
In a brief summary, the White House said the dialogue was part of efforts to “responsibly manage differences” and work together where “interests align.”
In a lengthy statement, Beijing noted that many of their interests are in sync.
But he blamed the deteriorating relationship on the US, criticizing Washington’s view of China as a “major rival” and a “serious long-term challenger”.
It’s hard to see anything positive. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC correspondent from Taipei
Much is being made of what President G said to President Biden, “He who plays with fire gets burned.”
This is a strong warning to the US, but it is already unprecedented.
China’s Foreign Ministry used the same language when a US congressional delegation visited Taiwan earlier this year. China’s Defense Ministry issued a similar warning to Taiwan last year.
The fact that it is now being used by President Xi gives it added weight.
But if Nancy Pelosi arrives next week, that doesn’t mean China is preparing for military action against Taiwan. Instead, he says, if America continues on its current path, conflict will eventually occur.
It’s hard to see anything positive in this phone call in terms of US-China relations.
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