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| In a brief summary, the White House said it was part of efforts to "responsibly manage differences" and work together where "interests align". The US and Chinese leaders have held virtual meetings before. (File photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The US and Chinese leaders have warned each other over Taiwan during a phone call that lasted more than two hours. President Joe Biden told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that the US strongly opposed any unilateral moves to change the island's status, BBC reported.
But he added that US policy on Taiwan had not changed. Beijing said Mr. Xi had told Mr. Biden to abide by the one-China principle, warning him that "whoever plays with fire will get burnt". Tensions over the issue have increased ahead of a rumored plan for US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. During Thursday's phone call, Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi also discussed arranging a possible face-to-face meeting, a senior Biden administration official said, describing the bilateral as "direct" and "honest". The White House said that apart from Taiwan, the two leaders discussed a range of other issues, including climate change and health security.
The Biden administration has been considering whether to lift Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports, arguing that such a move could ease soaring US inflation. Analysts believe that both Joe Biden and Xi Jinping want to avoid an open conflict, the BBC's State Department Correspondent Barbara Plett Usher reports. But neither has made any attempt to alter their competing narratives, which was illustrated again by their contrasting statements about Thursday's call.
