FILE – This combined image shows U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, November 6, 2021, and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brasília, Brazil, November 13, 2019.
Alex Brandon, Eraldo Peres / AP
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Alex Brandon, Eraldo Peres / AP
FILE – This combined image shows U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, November 6, 2021, and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brasília, Brazil, November 13, 2019.
Alex Brandon, Eraldo Peres / AP
BEIJING – President Xi Jinping warned against meddling in China’s dealings with Taiwan during a phone call with his US counterpart, Joe Biden, showing no sign of progress on trade, technology or other offensive factors, including Beijing’s objections to a possible visit by a top US lawmaker to the island democracy, which the mainland claims as its own territory me.
Xi also warned against splitting the world’s two largest economies, according to a Chinese government summary of Thursday’s unusual three-hour call. Businessmen and economists warn such a shift, driven by China’s industrial policy and US technology export restrictions, could hurt the global economy by making slow innovation and increase costs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden are considering the possibility of meeting face-to-face, according to an unnamed US official. Mr. Xi was invited to Indonesia in November to attend the Group of 20 meeting, a potential venue for a face-to-face meeting.
The Chinese government has given no indication that Xi and Biden have discussed possible plans by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan, which the ruling Communist Party says has no power. conduct foreign relations. But Mr. Xi has dismissed “intervention by outside forces” that could encourage Taiwan to try to maintain its decades-old de facto independence.
“Resolutely safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the steadfast will of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people,” the statement said. “Those who play with fire will be killed by it.”
The tough language from Mr. Xi, who often tries to appear above political disputes and makes blandly positive comments in public, suggests that China’s leaders can believe that Washington is not understand the seriousness of previous warnings about Taiwan.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war ended with Communist victory over the mainland. They have no official relationship but are linked by trade and investment of billions of dollars. Both sides say they are one country but disagree on which government should lead the country.
A Department of Defense spokesman said before the call Thursday that Washington “was not arranged for Pelosi to visit Taiwan.” He said the military wing of the ruling party, the People’s Liberation Army, would take “strong measures to prevent any outside interference.”
Mr. Xi called on the US to “respect the one-China principle”, the statement referring to Beijing’s position that the mainland and Taiwan are one country. In contrast, the US has a “one China policy”, saying Washington has no position on the issue but wants to see it resolved peacefully.
“Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China,” the statement said.
The statement cites Biden as saying that the United States does not support independence for Taiwan.
Coverage of the conversation in China’s fully state-controlled media on Friday was limited to repeating government statements.
Pelosi has yet to confirm whether she will travel to Taiwan, but if she does, the Democrat from California will be the highest-ranking elected US official to visit since then – Spokesperson Newt Gingrich in 1997.
Beijing criticized Gingrich for saying the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack but did nothing else in response to his three-hour visit to the island.
Since then, China’s stance on Taiwan has hardened as the mainland’s economy has grown to become the second largest after the United States. The ruling party has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the development of fighter jets and other high-tech weapons including “carrier killer” missiles that are said to prevent the US Navy from helping defend the island. island.
The conflict over Pelosi’s possible visit has become more sensitive to Beijing in a year when Xi, who came to power in 2012, is expected to try to break with tradition and hand himself a five-term term. third year as party leader.
Mr. Xi, who wants to be seen as restoring China’s right historical role as a global leader, has pushed for a more assertive policy abroad. The PLA has sent more and more fighter jets and bombers flying near Taiwan in an attempt to intimidate its democratically elected government.
The United States has no formal relations with Taiwan but has extensive commercial and informal political ties. Under federal law, Washington is obligated to see that Taiwan has the means to defend itself.
Xi called for cooperation to reduce the risk of an economic downturn, coordinate macroeconomic policies, combat COVID-19 and “de-escalate regional hotspots,” according to a government statement.
He also warned against separating the US and Chinese economies for strategic reasons.
Entrepreneurs and industry analysts have warned global industries could be fragmented into separate markets with incompatible products due to China’s pressure on its own companies. them to develop their own technology standards and American restrictions on China’s access to technology that Washington considers a security risk. That can slow innovation and increase costs.
“Attempts to decouple or sever supply chains that defy fundamental laws will not help boost the US economy,” the statement said. “They will only make the world economy more vulnerable.”
