The list of contentious issues between the USA and China is long. Now Biden and Xi made a new attempt to get closer again. But not too close.
The USA and China want to stabilize their tense relations and are resuming communication between their armed forces after a long period of radio silence.
US President Joe Biden and China’s head of state Xi Jinping met near the US metropolis of San Francisco for their first personal exchange in a year – the crisis meeting lasted more than four hours. Biden and Xi then struck a decidedly conciliatory tone. Biden said the talks were among the “most constructive and productive” he had had with Xi. They also agreed to revive their direct communication. At the same time, the US President made it clear that he continued to consider Xi to be a “dictator” – which was met with criticism in Beijing.
The Chinese government immediately rejected Biden’s dictatorship statement. Foreign Office spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing that the statement was “extremely wrong” and represented “irresponsible political manipulation.” However, Chinese state media did not take up Biden’s statement, which is seen as a sign that Beijing does not want to hang the matter too high. in order not to endanger the approach that has just been taken.
Xi himself said after the meeting at a dinner with business and government officials in San Francisco that China was ready to be “a partner and friend” of the United States. He warned of the consequences of a geopolitical showdown between the two states. If one country sees the other as the biggest geopolitical challenge, it would “only lead to wrong policy decisions, misguided actions and undesirable results.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also rated the meeting between the two heads of state as “very good, comprehensive and intensive.”
More exchange after radio silence
The relationship between the world’s two largest economies has long been very tense, including after economic sanctions against Beijing, an espionage scandal and fears in the West that China’s army could invade Taiwan. The long-awaited meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) summit was intended to put relations between the two countries back on a stable track. Biden and Xi last saw each other at the G20 summit in November 2022 on the island of Bali. They hadn’t spoken to each other since then.
The United Nations welcomed the meeting. “We know that a number of important issues have been moved in the right direction,” said spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The dialogue must be continued. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly warned of a division of the world into two camps.
In order to discuss tensions of all kinds directly in the future, the presidents have promised, according to Biden, to pick up the phone if a crisis develops. “President Xi and I have agreed that each of us will pick up the phone.”
Resumption of military communications
The most important result of the meeting is likely to be that China and the USA also want to resume direct military communication. The step is of “critical importance,” Biden said. Without communication, accidents and misunderstandings could occur. It is now planned, among other things, that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet his counterpart, the White House said. There should also be talks between senior military leaders from both countries. The US government has complained several times in recent months that direct military communication with China is not working and that this could lead to dangerous misunderstandings and miscalculations. Beijing had repeatedly rejected requests for talks at the defense minister level.
Fight against fentanyl
In the fight against the import of the deadly drug fentanyl into the USA, Biden also secured more support from China. Biden and Xi agreed to take measures against the export of components for the production of the opioid from China. The drug is the number one cause of death for people between the ages of 18 and 49 in the USA, emphasized the US President. According to US authorities, more than 70,000 people died from overdoses of synthetic opioids – especially fentanyl – in 2021 alone. The US government accuses China of playing a crucial role in America’s drug epidemic. For the Democrat Biden, who is running for re-election in November 2024, the agreement is a domestic political success. The drug crisis is affecting people in the country and Republicans have put pressure on the president in recent months to take a tougher stance towards China on the issue.
The conflict over Taiwan remains
Taiwan still harbors great potential for conflict between Washington and Beijing. The island republic, which is only separated from China by a strait, has had a democratic government for decades. However, China sees the country with more than 23 million inhabitants as part of its territory. The area is often the scene of military demonstrations of power. According to the White House, Biden emphasized in the conversation with Xi that the US rejected any unilateral change to the status quo by either side and expected the differences to be resolved through peaceful means. The US President called on China to exercise restraint in its military activities in and around the Taiwan Strait.
Xi, however, expressed ongoing concerns during the conversation and noted that the issue of Taiwan was the largest and potentially most dangerous conflict in US-China relations, journalists reported, citing a US government official. Xi spoke out in favor of peaceful reunification – but also talked about conditions that made the use of force possible.
A statement from Beijing said Xi had called on the US government to stop arming Taiwan and not support its independence. Xi also said that China would “unstoppably” achieve reunification.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
