Biden and Xi talk about critical issues
Taiwan, economy, military: US President Biden and China's President Xi agreed in November to talk to each other more again. They now fulfilled this promise.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone for the first time since their crisis meeting in California in November. The White House announced this on Tuesday following the conversation.
The two presidents met last November near the US metropolis of San Francisco for a personal meeting after a whole year of complete radio silence in order to stabilize relations between the two countries. There they also agreed to talk on the phone regularly again in the future. They now complied.
The US government headquarters spoke of an "open and constructive" discussion in which Biden also addressed many critical points: including China's attitude towards Taiwan, Chinese support for Russia's defense industry and Beijing's "unfair" trade practices. Dangers associated with artificial intelligence and the fight against international drug trafficking were also discussed.
US President Biden and Chinese President Xi met in November. Probably one of the biggest points of contention: the democratic island republic of Taiwan.
Resumption of military communications
A senior US government official said further exchanges at the level of Cabinet members were expected. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wants to travel to China again in the coming days and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the coming weeks. Visits by members of the Chinese government to the USA are also planned.
The resumption of military communication between the two countries was considered the most important result of the crisis meeting between Biden and Xi in California four and a half months ago. The US government had previously repeatedly complained that the usual direct exchange between the two countries' armed forces was not working and that this could lead to dangerous misunderstandings and miscalculations in crisis situations.
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