President Biden spoke Tuesday morning with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in a call aimed at discussing a variety of combative and cooperative issues as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises, U.S. and Chinese officials said.
The topics Mr. Biden raised included the fight against narcotics production, the conflict in the Middle East, North Korea’s nuclear program and China’s support for Russia during the war in Ukraine, according to a White House summary of the call.
Mr. Biden intended the conversation to be a “check-in” rather than a discussion with concrete results, said a senior administration official, who spoke to a small group of reporters on condition of anonymity Monday evening, as is customary for such briefings in Washington. But it was a crucial milestone during a crucial political year and as the countries try to stabilize a relationship that hit a multi-decade low last year.
John F. Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said Tuesday that the two leaders had a “frank and constructive” conversation, which he said included the topics of unfair trade policies, the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens and TikTok were offered.
“We believe there is no substitute for regular communication at the leadership level to effectively manage this complex and often tense bilateral relationship,” Mr Kirby said. “Both presidents agreed: pick up the phone and speak up when necessary.”
The call came days ahead of a trip to China by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen, who will be followed soon after by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, the official said. These would be the first visits by cabinet members to China this year; Both officials traveled to Beijing last year to stabilize relations after tempers flared over the Chinese spy balloon.
Since last summer, Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi have tried to avoid fallouts between their nations. Mr. Biden is trying to focus on his tight race for re-election this year. Mr Xi is grappling with a range of domestic problems, including a troubled economy and corruption at the top of his military.
Mr Biden and Mr Xi held an in-person summit in November at a lavish estate in Woodside, outside San Francisco. The two also met in November 2022 in Bali, Indonesia – their first in-person summit as national leaders – and had their last phone call in July 2022.
The senior U.S. official told reporters that the call Tuesday was part of U.S. efforts toward the modest goals of maintaining contact and “responsibly managing competition.”
Mr. Biden raised two issues about Chinese aggression in the Pacific: Taiwan and the South China Sea, according to the White House summary.
The Biden administration has warned China to rein in its coast guard ships, which have fired water cannons at Philippine supply ships in a disputed area of the South China Sea. And the United States has said the Chinese military is provocatively using planes and ships near Taiwan, the de facto independent island whose status is the biggest flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.
However, Mr. Biden reiterated to Mr. .
During the call, “Mr Xi emphasized that the Taiwan issue is the first red line that should not be crossed in China-US relations,” according to a description of the call released by the Chinese government. Mr Xi called for “concrete actions” from the United States to demonstrate its commitment not to support Taiwan’s independence, the description said.
Like previous Chinese leaders, Mr Xi has said Taiwan must be brought under China’s rule, by force if necessary. Mr. Biden has said four times that U.S. troops will defend Taiwan if China tries to invade. The comments were a departure from the U.S. government’s decades-long effort to leave unclear whether the U.S. military would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack.
Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister, said in an interview with The New York Times in Taipei on Thursday that China had steadily increased its military activities around Taiwan, as well as its cyber espionage efforts and the promotion of online disinformation, all of which amounted to “gray zone” aggression without full-scale war. “We need the US to work more closely with Taiwan,” he said.
In the call, Mr Xi also criticized the “endless stream of measures” the United States has taken to try to suppress China’s economy, science and technology, the Chinese government summary said. Mr Biden has imposed restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductors to China.
Mr. Biden told Mr. the White House.
Mr. Kirby said the two leaders discussed TikTok and Mr. Biden reiterated his concerns about the social media app’s ownership. The House of Representatives voted last month to force the Chinese company that owns the app to sell it or face a nationwide ban. The bill is now in the Senate, but Mr. Biden has said he will sign it if it reaches his desk.
“He made it clear to President Xi that this was not about a ban on the application, but rather our interest in divesting so that the national security interests and data security of the American people can be protected,” Mr. Kirby said.
The senior US official said Biden wanted to emphasize to Xi that China should not continue to help Russia rebuild its military-industrial base. Russian arms production has remained robust despite economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Steady production of ammunition and missiles – as well as arms aid from North Korea and Iran – are helping Russia in Ukraine.
China has picked up some trade areas that European countries have halted, and that has allowed Russia to rebuild its weapons production capabilities, the official said.
Mr. Biden also wanted Mr. Xi to help curb attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi forces, an Iran-backed military group that says it will continue attacking as long as Israel is at war with Israel . Hamas in Gaza, the US official said. The Biden administration has pressured China to ask Iran to rein in the Houthis, especially as Chinese ships also transit the Red Sea.
The official said Mr. Biden would like to work further with China on several areas: limiting exports of chemicals used to make fentanyl, high-level military talks, discussions on artificial intelligence and climate change policy.
Meaghan Tobin contributed reporting from Taipei, Taiwan.