Rising tensions prompt Xi to warn Biden about Taiwan
- Capitol Times
- Jul 28, 2022
- 2 min read
A phone call was conducted between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on July 28. Biden and Xi spoke for well over two hours during their fifth call.
According to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, the President wants to keep communication lines open with President Xi. It's true that there are certain issues where China and the United States can cooperate, and then there are others where friction and tension are evident."
Chinese-American relations have plummeted to their lowest point in decades because of a variety of tensions. While China is less willing to negotiate on most issues, the White House emphasized the importance of keeping communication lines open.
State-owned Chinese media described the exchange as "candid and in-depth," and said that both leaders had agreed to stay in touch. "The two major powers" must manage global security, Xi told Biden, urging him not to view China as a rival in strategic competition.
Currently, this bilateral relationship has ramifications well beyond both countries' boundaries. While coping with China's rising power status and its increasingly hostile behavior, Biden is seeking to adequately address the situation.
As a result, Xi and Biden focused heavily on Taiwan in their conversation.
Xi warned Biden against playing with fire. It's important for the U.S. to understand this clearly.
According to the Chinese government, Taiwan is a breakaway province from China. It is unlikely that Xi would refrain from using force when it comes to reuniting the island with the mainland. Taiwan democracy and market economy thrive, and it has never been controlled by China since 1949.
A treaty binds the United States to provide Taiwan with the necessary weapons for its self-defense despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations. A second element of the government's doctrine is "strategic ambiguity", which will neither confirm nor deny whether Taiwan would be defended if invaded by China.
28 July 2022
