The conflict over Taiwan was high on the agenda at the first online meeting of the presidents of China and America on Tuesday.

Both sides emphasized that a military conflict must be avoided.

"Our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States is to ensure that competition between our countries does not degenerate into a conflict, whether intentional or unintentional," said Joe Biden right at the start of the virtual encounter.

Therefore, "common sense guardrails" should be erected.

It is necessary to "keep communication channels open".

Friederike Böge

Political correspondent for China, North Korea and Mongolia.

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Xi Jinping also spoke out in favor of strengthening “communication and cooperation” between the two sides and “coexisting with one another in peace”. The two "giant tankers" China and America must be prevented from colliding. His subsequent remarks on Taiwan, however, reminded us that the situation around the island republic remains dangerous. "If Taiwan separatist independence forces provoke, push ahead or cross the red line, we must take decisive action," said Xi, according to the text distributed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. He made another threat to "some people on the American side" who "want to use Taiwan to control China." That is a very dangerous development. "If you play with fire, you get burned," said Xi.

These words were also addressed to his own audience, towards whom the Chinese leader does not want to show any weakness.

However, Xi also said a word that he has rarely used in connection with Taiwan: patience.

"We are patient and ready to do our utmost to work with the utmost seriousness for the prospect of peaceful reunification."

That was probably intended as a signal to Washington that China was not interested in a military confrontation either.

Conciliatory tones at the beginning

The White House said President Biden has made it clear that "the United States is strictly opposed to unilateral efforts to change the status quo." In Beijing's spirit, he added that America was adhering to the one-China principle. Washington defines what is meant by this, however, very differently from Beijing. Xi once again falsely claimed on Tuesday that this included a commitment to saying that Taiwan was part of China.

The two presidents' online summit lasted three and a half hours.

Biden had gone to the Roosevelt Room of the White House for this.

Xi Jinping sat in a much larger room in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

America had originally insisted on a face-to-face encounter, but China ignored it.

Xi Jinping has not left his country for almost two years because of the pandemic and domestic political considerations.

Concrete measures to build confidence were not announced after the summit.

Questions such as the issuing of journalist and student visas and the possible reopening of recently closed consulates have been under discussion for a long time.