Confrontation disastrous for China, US: Xi
BEIJING/WASHINGTON: Confrontation between China and the US will be disastrous for both countries and the world, Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned Joe Biden in their first phone call since the latter took charge as the American president.
Biden raised with Xi the issue of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, crackdown in Hong Kong, and Beijing’s increasing assertiveness on Taiwan.
The phone call came on the eve of the Lunar New Year, the biggest festival in China. Biden tweeted after the phone call, “I told him I will work with China when it benefits the American people.”
In a statement, the White House said Biden “underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including towards Taiwan”.
Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as telling Biden that those issues were China’s internal affairs. “The Taiwan question and issues relating to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, etc are China’s internal affairs and concern China’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity, and the US side should respect China’s core interests and act prudently.”
Xi said while the two sides may differ on some issues, it is crucial to show mutual respect, treat each other as equals, and properly handle differences in a constructive fashion.
“When China and the US work together, they can accomplish a great deal for the good of both countries and the world at large. Confrontation between the two countries, however, will definitely be disastrous for both countries and the world,” Xi said.
Thursday’s interaction came after Biden announced the formation of a China Task Force at the defence department to “chart a strong path forward on Chinarelated matters”. Biden made the announcement during his first visit to the Pentagon, saying the task force will “look at our strategy and operational concepts, technology, and force posture”.