Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his United States (US) counterpart Joe Biden against interfering in China’s internal affairs as tensions between the two countries peak over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s scheduled visit to Taiwan next week.
During a much-anticipated phone call on Thursday that lasted over two hours, Xi warned Biden that “Those who play with fire will perish by it,” expressing hope that the US is “clear-eyed” on the matter.
“China firmly opposes separatist moves toward “Taiwan independence” and interference by external forces, and never allows any room for “Taiwan independence” forces in whatever form,” Xi said. He also reiterated: “Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China.”
“The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent, and resolutely safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. Public opinion cannot be defied,” the Chinese president asserted.
Today I spoke with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China as part of our efforts to deepen lines of communication, responsibly manage our differences, and address issues of mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/mwIeg35h8j
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 28, 2022
He also reminded Biden to honour its official policy of recognising the one-China principle and implementing their three joint communiqués “both in word and in deed.” Xi said that the communiqués “embody the political commitments made by the two sides, and the one-China principle is the political foundation for China-US relations.” In fact, the Chinese press release said Biden underscored Washington’s continued commitment to the ‘one-China’ principle.
Despite their differences, Xi also said that it is critical for the two “major countries” to come together to “uphold world peace and security” in the face of “turbulence and transofrmation.” In particular, he emphasised on the need to “keep industrial and supply chains stable,” “protect global energy and food security,” “help the world get rid of COVID-19,” and “reduce the risk of stagflation and recession.”
According to a readout published by the White House, Biden responded by reiterating that the US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged and that Washington “strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” He also expressed hope to “keep an open line of communication with China to enhance mutual understanding and avoid misperception and miscalculation,” as the world was at “a critical moment.” Biden also assured that Washington “will work with China where the interests of the two countries align and… properly manage differences.”
Xi to Biden: Don’t change the status quo on Taiwan.
— Dhruva Jaishankar (@d_jaishankar) July 28, 2022
Biden to Xi: Don’t change the status quo on Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/3TKM5sqCkZ
Meanwhile, a senior White House official said in a press conference following the call that Biden also demanded the release of American citizens who have been “wrongfully detained or subjected to exit bans.” He also pressed the Chinese leader on a variety of human rights concerns.
Furthermore, they touched on the Biden administration’s possible relaxation of trade measures against China, with Biden saying China must first address its “unfair economic practices.”
This was the fifth phone conversation between the two world leaders since Biden took office last February and closely follows a meeting between the US and China’s top diplomats, Antony Blinken and Wang Yi, in Bali earlier this month. Crucialy, the latest interaction comes at a time when tensions between the two countries are running high over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s upcoming visit to Taiwan. Pelosi’s scheduled visit is especially significant because she is third in line to the presidency and would become the senior-most US lawmaker to visit the region since one of her predecessors, Newt Gingrich, visited the island in 1997.
President Xi Jinping just spoke with US President Joe Biden on the phone at the request of the latter. The two Presidents had a candid communication and exchange on China-US relations and issues of mutual interest.
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) July 28, 2022
Chinese Ministry of Defense Spokesperson Tan Kefei warned on Tuesday that “If the US insists on taking its own course, the Chinese military will never sit idly by, and it will definitely take strong actions to thwart any external force’s interference and separatist’s schemes for ‘Taiwan independence,’ and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Chinese Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian reiterated the warning during his regular press conference on Thursday, saying, “We Chinese mean what we say.”
Pelosi, however, has refrained from making any public announcements about her plans for the trip, which remain to be finalised. “I never talk about my travel. It’s a danger to me,” she said Wednesday.
Moreover, Biden has publicly discouraged Pelosi from going ahead with the trip, saying the Pentagon does not support her visiting the island nation.
Despite the exchange of stern words between Xi and Biden, both sides said they viewed the discussion as “candid, in-depth and constructive” and have agreed to maintain “communication and cooperation”.