A scheduled telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will take place on Thursday, the US press reported on Wednesday.
The situation in Taiwan and the war in Ukraine will be two topics the leaders will discuss in the fifth conversation between them since Biden arrived at the White House in January 2021. This was stated by the official representative of the Security Council, John Kirby.
According to Kirby, the focus will be on security issues and China’s territorial claims.
In this sense, in addition to Taiwan, the two leaders will also talk about the South China Sea, a region where the equivalent of 11 billion barrels of oil is estimated to be located and that the Asian giant is arguing with Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia. , Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.
The other big issue will be the economy, though Kirby acknowledged that the United States should not decide before a phone call on whether to continue the tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by former President Donald Trump.
Biden “wants to ensure that all lines of communication with President Xi remain open on all issues, even problematic ones,” said Kirby, who championed the importance of the two leaders being able to communicate “frankly and directly” over the phone. .
The White House has had high hopes for a phone call between Biden and Xi for weeks now.
However, the possibility that Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan in August has also begun to cause tension between the two countries.
Pelosi has yet to officially announce any trips, but the Chinese government has already warned it will respond with “strong measures” if the visit is confirmed.
Taiwan is one of the main reasons for the conflict between China and the US, mainly because Washington is the main supplier of weapons to Taiwan and will become its biggest military ally in the event of a possible war with China.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
