WASHINGTON: Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden held a phone call on Tuesday, China’s state media said, as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilize relations following years of tensions AFP reported.
During the call, the two heads of state exchanged candid and in-depth views on China-US relations and discussed issues of mutual concern, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “The two heads of state had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations and issues of common concern to the two sides,” state broadcaster CCTV said.
Meanwhile, a US official expressed concerns over China’s assistance to Russia in rebuilding its military defence base, particularly in light of the Ukraine war. The official who was briefing reporters about Tuesday’s talks between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, highlighted China’s contributions to Russia’s defence industrial base, noting potential long-term impacts on European security. “We’ve really seen the PRC start to help to rebuild Russia’s defence industrial base,” said the official.
The US official said that the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will pay separate visits to China shortly. “We will continue to advance our interests through cabinet-level diplomacy, including visits to the PRC by Secretary of the Treasury Yellen in the coming days and Secretary of State Blinken in the coming weeks,” said a US official.
The phone call between Biden and Xi precedes upcoming visits by top US officials to China. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are set to make separate visits to China shortly, aiming to foster stable ties between the world’s two largest economies.
Yellen’s visit is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, with face-to-face meetings planned with Chinese counterparts over five days in Guangzhou and Beijing. Blinken is also expected to visit China later this year.
The Biden administration aims to address a range of concerns during the phone call and subsequent visits, including economic relations, tensions surrounding Taiwan, China’s support for Russia amid the Ukraine conflict, and growing cybersecurity threats ahead of the upcoming US presidential election.
The ongoing efforts to stabilize relations between the US and China mark a departure from previous years of communication freeze, which was exacerbated by trade tensions and tariffs during the Trump administration.
