Following a cordial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Joe Biden said that there will be no “new Cold war” with China. Following their direct meeting, both leaders talked about various topics other than Taiwan. The talks were held soon after Xi arrived for the G20 summit.
Since Biden took over office, it was their first face-to-face meeting.
Additionally, Biden stated that he did not think China would invade Taiwan.
Taiwan has been a hot topic for discussions between the US and China. Beijing claims the self-governing island to be a part of its territory. However, Taiwan opposes Beijing’s claims.
Tensions rose after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island nation Taiwan in August which prompted China to conduct extensive military drills. Pelosi’s visit also made China cut off several formal discussions including climate change and military discussions with the US. The White House announced following Biden and Xi’s conversations, that the talks are most likely to continue.
After his talk with Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Biden said, “We’re going to compete vigorously. But I’m not looking for conflict, I’m looking to manage this competition responsibly.”
The White House stated that Biden discussed several sensitive topics with Xi, including Beijing’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan,” its “non-market economic practises,” and “human rights policies.”
On Monday, Taiwan was referred to as the “first red line” in a speech made during their meeting, a Chinese official stated. The Chinese news agency quoted Xi saying, “The Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.”
The diplomatic relations between the US and China roiled in recent years over topics including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade practices and US’s imposed restrictions over Chinese technology.
