Biden to discuss Taiwan with Xi to avoid ‘conflict’ – News-Herald

SEUNG MIN KIM and ZEKE MILLER (Associated Press)

NUSA DUA, INDONESIA — President Joe Biden opposed China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” against Taiwan during his first direct meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, vowing to bolster the country’s efforts in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Raised human rights concerns about Beijing’s actions. the White House said.

At a press conference after the meeting, Mr. Biden reiterated U.S. support for the longstanding One China policy. He also said he did not believe there was “an imminent attempt by China to invade Taiwan” despite China’s recent armed attacks.

“It doesn’t have to happen,” Biden added.

The talks, which took place during Mr. Biden’s seven-day round-the-world trip, suggested that superpowers competing for global influence amid mounting economic and security tensions would “manage” differences between them. Biden told reporters that the United States would “compete fiercely, but we are not looking for confrontation”, adding that a “new Cold War would be needed” with China. I believe it will never happen,” he added.

Biden and Xi Jinping also agreed that “a nuclear war must never be fought” and “cannot be won” and “emphasized that they oppose the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.” the White House said. This was a reference to Russian officials faintly threatening to use nuclear weapons as the nearly nine-month-long invasion of Ukraine is undermining.

Biden and Xi Jinping also agreed to “empower key officials” in potential areas of cooperation, including tackling climate change and maintaining global finance, health and food security. It was not immediately clear whether that meant China would agree to resume climate talks, which Beijing had suspended in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August.

Xi and Biden shook hands at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia and attended the G20 summit.

“In our view, as leaders of both countries, we hope that China and the United States can manage differences, prevent competition from approaching conflict, and find ways to cooperate on pressing global issues. We share the responsibility to show. We need mutual cooperation,” Biden said at the beginning of the meeting.

Xi called on Biden to “show the right path” and “improve relations” between China and the United States.

Both men stepped up their political positions at home to attend the long-awaited meeting. The Democrats have a chance to move up one rank in next month’s runoff vote in Georgia, with the Democrats victorious and seizing control of the U.S. Senate. was given a term of one year. tradition.

“There are very few misunderstandings,” Biden told reporters in Cambodia on Sunday, attending a gathering of Southeast Asian nations before leaving for Indonesia. We need to understand what is most important to each of us.”

Biden added, “His situation at home has clearly changed.” The president said of his own situation:

The White House aide has repeatedly called for the notion of conflict between the two countries to be minimized and believes the two countries can work together to address common challenges such as climate change and health security. I am emphasizing that

But relations have become more strained under successive US administrations as economic, trade, human rights and security differences surface.

As president, Mr. Biden has spoken out on human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minorities, crackdowns on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provocations against autonomous Taiwan, and Russia’s prosecution of war. China has repeatedly been held accountable for its differences. against Ukraine. Beijing has avoided direct assistance, such as the supply of weapons, but has largely refrained from publicly criticizing Russia’s war.

According to the White House, Biden has responded to U.S. concerns about China’s actions in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, as well as the plight of Americans believed to have been “illegally detained” or subject to travel bans in China. specifically mentioned.

Taiwan has emerged as one of the most contentious issues between Washington and Beijing. Biden has repeatedly said during his tenure that the United States would protect the islands China sought to eventually unify in case of a Beijing-led invasion. He stressed that the one-China policy has not changed. That policy allows the Beijing government to maintain informal and defense ties with Taipei, and a stance of “strategic ambiguity” over whether to respond militarily if the island is attacked. ing.

Pelosi’s visit prompted China, officially the People’s Republic of China, to retaliate with military exercises and ballistic missile launches into nearby waters.

The White House said Biden “expressed the United States’ opposition to China’s coercive and increasingly aggressive actions against Taiwan that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the wider region and endanger global prosperity.” Stated.

According to the Chinese government’s own account of the meeting, Xi said, “The Taiwan issue is the very core of China’s core interests, the foundation of the political foundation of Sino-US relations, and should not be the first red line.” emphasized. Exchanged in Sino-American relations. ”

At the meeting, Mr. Biden said China’s economic practices “are hurting American workers and families, and workers and families around the world,” according to the White House.

This was a national security move to bolster US competition against Beijing just weeks after the Biden administration blocked the export of advanced computer chips to China.

The Xi Jinping administration condemned these moves, stating that “starting trade and technology wars, building walls and barriers, and promoting the disconnection and fragmentation of supply chains violates the principles of the market economy and undermines international trade rules. make it,” he said.

The two had five phone or video calls during Biden’s tenure, but White House officials said those encounters were no substitute for Biden’s face-to-face meeting with Xi. This task has become all the more important after President Xi Jinping consolidated his grip on power through the party congress.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said before the meeting that China was committed to peaceful coexistence but would resolutely defend its sovereignty, security and development interests.

“It is important for the United States to work with China to properly manage differences, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations, and put China-US relations back on the right track of healthy and stable development,” he said. . in Beijing.

White House officials and Chinese officials spent weeks negotiating the details of the meeting, which was held at Xi’s hotel, with translators providing simultaneous interpretation via headsets.

The leaders sat and talked in a cavernous, windowless conference room, facing each other at two long tables more than a dozen feet apart and elaborate flower arrangements.

U.S. officials want to know how Xi approached Biden’s roundtable, assessing whether it more or less likely Xi will explore areas of cooperation with the U.S. said wait to do.

Each leader had nine aides wearing N-95 masks, and in Xi’s case, at least one official who was newly promoted to supreme leader in recent parliament. US officials said interactions with Xi’s aides could lead to more substantive engagement in the future.

Before meeting Xi, Biden met with G20 host Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss a series of new development initiatives for the archipelago, including investments in climate, security and education. Announced.

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Associated Press writers Josh Bork of Baltimore and Darlene Superville of Washington contributed to this report.