IRIA News

U.S. President Joseph Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held phone discussions for the first time in seven months, making it the second call between them since President Biden took office.

According to the White House statement, President Biden’s aim in the 90-minute call was less focused on any of the pressing issues and instead centered on discussing the way ahead for the U.S.-China relationship.

White House Statement highlighted that, “President Biden underscored the United States’ enduring interest in peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the world” and both leaders had “discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict”.

During the conversation on September 9, President Biden reiterated that he wants to keep the channels of communication open so the two countries do not unintentionally “veer into conflict.” White House officials stated that the intent of the call was to have a strategic conversation about how to manage competition between the two world powers. The official also said the phone call was a test — to see if conversations at the very highest level would be more effective, given Chinese President Xi’s consolidation of power.

The White House hopes the two sides can work together on issues of mutual concern, including climate change and preventing a nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula.

China, however, has pushed back against the U.S. pressure, suggesting that the U.S. remain broadly uncooperative, and urged President Biden to abandon his aggressive policies towards China and criticism of the country’s internal matters.

China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that President Xi Jinping told President Biden that the U.S. government policy toward China caused “serious difficulties” in relations between the two countries, and highlighted that it “not in the basic interests of the two peoples”.

Chinese President Xi also discussed ways to increase cooperation between China and the U.S. on climate change, epidemic prevention, economic recovery, and other issues.

During the talks, both presidents recalled their time together when they were both vice-presidents, the Biden administration official said. The White House statement highlighted that the leaders agreed to engage “openly and straightforwardly” on issues where the nations were at odds, and where there was agreement.

Before the telephonic conversation between two presidents, an American senior administration official stated the White House has been unsatisfied with early engagements with the Chinese. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said White House officials hoped that Chinese President Xi hearing directly from President Biden could prove beneficial.

The call came at the request of U.S. President Biden, who had become “exasperated” by the unwillingness of lower-level Chinese officials to hold substantive talks with his administration.

The U.S.-China relations have been tense, with clashes over issues like trade, espionage, and the pandemic. The telephonic conversation between two leaders comes at a moment when Washington has intensified efforts to contain China and accuses Beijing of conducting cyberattacks, mishandling the coronavirus pandemic, and “coercive and unfair” trade practices.

Although the relations between the two powers are tense, both sides appeared willing to explore ventures for potential agreements. “Whether they can handle their relationship well bears on the future of the world,” the Chinese ministry wrote. “It is a question of the century to which the two countries must provide a good answer. When China and the United States cooperate, the two countries and the world will benefit; when China and the United States are in confrontation, the two countries and the world will suffer. Getting the relationship right is not an option, but something we must do and must do well.”