China and US presidents open “line of communication”, but maintain tension over Taiwan controversy
Amid the escalation of tensions over Taiwan, the president, Joe Biden, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, held an extensive phone call Thursday in Washington’s attempt to once again resolve the course of the troubled relationship between the two. to land.
The fifth leaders’ meeting, which lasted two hours and 17 minutes, focused on ensuring that the necessary “lines of communication” remain open as growing economic and geopolitical tensions leave little hope for real progress in economic cooperation and climate change.
Relations are at their most dangerous point in decades amid growing military activity in the region, which, according to a recent report, has included actions by a US strike group and the flight of a Chinese armed drone over eastern Taiwan when the island was destroyed. operations began. .
A complicated relationship marked by deep disagreements on issues of global health, economic policy and human rights, to which is added China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two leaders discussed various topics, including areas of potential cooperation in a minefield of bilateral relations, including intellectual property disputes, Beijing’s global espionage campaign and the aggressive militarization of the South China Sea.
Washington has been highly critical of China’s “zero-covid” policy, which includes mass testing and incarceration of the population to contain the spread of the coronavirus on its territory, as well as the genocide of Uyghur Muslims.
For its part, the Chinese government, which described the conversation as “productive”, has spared no reproach to Washington and has issued a dire warning through the Foreign Ministry about the possible visit of a congressional delegation to Taiwan, led by the president of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. A plan that has vehemently attacked Beijing and that in recent weeks has crowned the latest escalation of tension between the two countries.
“Those who play with fire will die in it,” Xi said, again reminding Biden that China is “strongly opposed” to “interference by outside forces” regarding Taiwan’s status. Beijing warned that “it will never leave any room for Taiwan’s independence forces,” something Washington is expected to “see clearly.”
Xi, who views the potential visit as a provocation and a sign of tacit US support for the independence movement in Taiwan, warned that as what he sees as an “existential threat to Chinese sovereignty,” he will respond with strong countermeasures. In recent weeks, the White House has tried to downplay the controversial trip by calling the threats “useless and unnecessary” rhetoric that has caused “a lot of fuss” about an unofficial trip.
The controversial trip has not only sparked anger in Beijing, but has also attracted widespread media attention for straining relations between Pelosi and the White House, which need not add more friction to the long list of tensions with China. Biden told reporters last week that military officials don’t think the visit is “a good idea” at this point.
For now, the trip is not on the official itinerary for the Asia tour in early August, which will visit Japan, Singapore and Indonesia. Pressured by reporters about a possible shutdown in Taiwan, Pelosi said on Wednesday that she is not talking about her plans because it poses a security risk. If it happens, Pelosi would be the most senior U.S. official to travel to the island since 1997, when Republican Newt Gingrich took over as Speaker of the House.
The talk with Beijing comes as Biden seeks to reduce economic dependence on China and bring some of the industrial manufacturing sector back home, with particular emphasis on the semiconductor industry, which the US has neglected in recent decades and is now at risk. for the national economy. However, the White House chief is considering easing some of the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods to mitigate the impact of rising inflation on the domestic economy.
Source: La Verdad
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