US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a telephonic conversation on Tuesday, their first since a November summit in California.
The two discussed China-US relations and issues of mutual concern.
They also discussed the issue of Taiwan, China’s ties with Russia, and a newly enacted national security law in Hong Kong.
According to a statement from the White House, US President raised concerns about what Washington described as China’s “unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices.
Biden “emphasized that the United States will continue to take necessary actions to prevent advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security, without unduly limiting trade and investment,” the White House said.
The call comes amid rising tensions in the South China Sea and ahead of next month’s inauguration of Taiwan’s new president.
It also comes ahead of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s visit to China on Thursday and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip in the weeks ahead.
While in-person summits take place perhaps once a year, officials said, both Washington and Beijing recognize the value of more frequent engagements between the leaders, news agency AP reported.
The two leaders discussed Taiwan ahead of next month’s inauguration of Lai Ching-te, the island’s president-elect, who has vowed to safeguard its de-facto independence from China. Biden reaffirmed the United States’ longstanding “One China” policy and reiterated that the US opposes any coercive means to bring Taiwan under Beijing’s control.
