Joe Biden talks with Xi Jinping to cool tensions on Taiwan and tech

Officials from the US and China described the rare phone call as ‘candid’ and ‘constructive’ but admitted the pair also clashed on a range of issues

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali on November 14, 2022. Picture: AFP

President Joe Biden held a rare ­direct phone call with President Xi Jinping overnight on Tuesday in an attempt to defuse tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea and trade in hi-tech products.

Officials on both sides ­described the talks as “candid” and “constructive” but made clear that the two men also clashed on a wide range of issues.

Mr Biden complained about Chinese support for Russia’s military-industrial complex, while Mr Xi hinted at dissatisfaction over US support for “independence forces” in Taiwan.

The US President raised concerns about TikTok, the Chinese-owned video-sharing app, which US officials have said is a surveillance tool for Beijing, and condemned “unfair market practices” by the Chinese.

Mr Xi countered with criticism of US sanctions imposed against companies transferring hi-tech products, particularly the latest cutting-edge computer chips, to China. Washington claims they could be used to challenge the US militarily, but Beijing sees the sanctions as an attempt to prevent it developing economically.

“If the US side is willing to seek mutually beneficial co-operation and share in China’s development dividends, it will always find China’s door open,” Mr Xi said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry account of the conversation. “But if it is adamant on containing China’s hi-tech development and depriving it of its legitimate right to development, China is not going to sit back and watch.”

The call, which lasted an hour and 45 minutes, was the first ­between the leaders since July – an indication of the frosty relationship between the world’s old and new superpowers. There was an attempt to repair the relationship when Mr Xi visited the US for a regional summit in San Francisco in November. That meeting led to breakthroughs in some areas, with the resumption of talks between the two countries’ militaries, co-operation on tackling the synthetic opioid fentanyl and a promise of more pandas for American zoos.

However, there was no agreement on substantial geopolitical issues, including the growing risk of war over Taiwan and the South China Sea, most of which China claims, despite opposition from other Southeast Asian nations. Mr Biden said after the November visit that he still thought of Mr Xi as a “dictator”.

A senior US administration ­official said before Tuesday’s phone call that Mr Biden wanted consistent dialogue with Mr Xi to ensure “responsible management of the relationship”.

On Taiwan, Mr Biden reaffirmed the US’s “One China” policy but insisted that he would oppose any attempt by China to bring the island under its control. He revisited concerns about Chinese military operations in the South China Sea, including ­attempts to block The Philippines from resupplying its forces on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Mr Biden also warned Mr Xi not to interfere in the US presidential election in November and to rein in cyberattacks on US infrastructure. The Department of Justice charged seven Chinese nationals last week over a cyber ­attack on the US that spanned more than a decade. Britain has also accused Chinese hackers of accessing databases, including those of the Electoral Commission.

The House of Representatives passed a bill last month that would impose a nationwide ban on TikTok if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell its stake in the app. Mr Biden has said he will sign the bill if it clears congress. China said last month that a ban would “inevitably come back to bite the United States”.

There were some positive notes, however: the US believes that it can co-operate with China on countering any threat posed by artificial intelligence. Beijing co-sponsored a resolution on the technology at the UN last month and US officials expect to ­announce a bilateral dialogue aiming to manage “the risk and safety challenges posed by ­advanced forms of AI”.

John Kirby, the US national security spokesman, told reporters: “We believe that there is no substitute for regular communication at the leader level to effectively manage this complex and often tense relationship. Both presidents agreed to pick up the phone and speak when needed.”

But a senior US administration official added: “I don’t think we ever really take China at their word when they say they will or will not do something.”

The Times