President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday discussed Taiwan, artificial intelligence and security issues in a call meant to demonstrate a return to regular leader-to-leader dialogue between the two powers.
The call was the leaders’ first conversation since their November summit in California.
According to a press release issued by the White House, the two leaders held a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of cooperation and areas of difference.
“They reviewed and encouraged progress on key issues discussed at the Woodside Summit, including counternarcotics cooperation, ongoing military-to-military communication, talks to address AI-related risks, and continuing efforts on climate change and people-to-people exchanges,” the release stated.
During the call, the leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship through high-level diplomacy and working-level consultations in the weeks and months ahead, including during upcoming visits by Secretary Yellen and Secretary Blinken.
Biden, according to the White House release, emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
This comes ahead of next month’s inauguration of Lai Ching-te, the island’s president-elect, who has vowed to safeguard its de-facto independence from China and further align it with other democracies.
Biden also reaffirmed the United States’ longstanding “One China” policy and reiterated that the US opposes any coercive means to bring Taiwan under Beijing’s control.
Raising concern over China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base amid its ongoing war with Ukraine, and its impact on European and transatlantic security, Biden said that the United States is enduring commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The US President also raised continued concerns about China’s unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices, “which harm American workers and families”.
Biden emphasized that the country would continue to take necessary actions to prevent advanced US technologies from being used to undermine the national security of United States, without unduly limiting trade and investment.
