Joe Biden and Xi Jinping talk Taiwan, agree to one-on-one meeting
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping spoke for more than two hours on July 28, 2022. © AFP - MANDEL NGAN,ANTHONY WALLACE
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed the growing tensions between their two countries and their trade disputes for more than two hours on Thursday (July 28th).
They agreed to meet in person and talked about Taiwan.
Advertising
Read more
"
The conversation between President Biden and President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China ended at 10:50 a.m.
," the White House said in a statement Thursday, July 28.
The phone call had started 2 hours and 17 minutes earlier, at 08:33 local time (12:33 UT).
They "
discussed the importance of a one-on-one discussion and agreed that their teams would work to find a mutually agreeable time to do so
," said a US official who asked anonymity.
The two leaders did not discuss any changes to the tariffs imposed by the United States on China, according to the same source.
Today I spoke with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China as part of our efforts to deepen lines of communication, responsibly manage our differences, and address issues of mutual interest.
pic.twitter.com/mwIeg35h8j
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 28, 2022
During the meeting deemed by the two statesmen "
sincere and thorough
", Xi Jinping warned his American counterpart not to "
play with fire
" about
Taiwan
, Chinese state media reported.
“
Those who play with fire end up getting burned
,” Xi told Biden, quoted by the New China Agency.
“
I hope the US side fully understands this
,” he added.
US President Joe Biden replied to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that the US position on Taiwan had "
not changed
", according to the White House, while
the possibility of a visit to the island of the leader of the deputies Americans, Nancy Pelosi,
has reignited tensions between the two countries.
Joe Biden added that “
the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status of or threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait
,” the US executive said.
Ahead of the interview, John Kirby, spokesman for the US executive, said: "
It
's about keeping the lines of communication open with the president of China, one of the most important bilateral relations, not just for this region, but across the world, because it affects a lot
of subjects.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
China
United States
Taiwan
Diplomacy
Joe Biden
Xi Jinping