Main » News and comments » 2021 » Biden-Xi Virtual Summit: First Results from CFR

Biden-Xi Virtual Summit: First Results from CFR

17.11.2021
1678

According to I. Johnson

With US-China relations close to historic lows, the two leaders spoke for three and a half hours on a range of sensitive issues, including trade, human rights, and Taiwan. Nothing significant was expected, but Biden said both sides had to install "fences" to prevent collisions, and Xi said he was happy to see his "old friend." Taiwan was one of the critical moments. Beijing has stepped up pressure on the self-governing island, which China considers part of its territory, by sending dozens of aircraft into Taiwan's airspace. The United States has never formally pledged to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack, but it has been assumed for decades if China launches an unprovoked invasion. Formally, the United States is only obliged to help Taiwan defend itself, for example by selling weapons.

At the summit, Xi Jinping pledged to continue the peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but used very direct language to warn the United States against being overly involved in the fate of the island: “This is a game with fire, and if you play with fire, you will get burns,” he said. Xi's rhetoric was in line with China's policy of not compromising on key issues. When the Biden administration took office, Chinese officials hoped it would provide a break from the bellicose criticism of the Donald Trump era. including punitive tariffs on certain Chinese exports. ”During the year, Chinese officials sharply criticized the Biden administration and refused to back down on substantive issues such as the situation in western China's Xinjiang region or restrictions on freedoms in Hong Kong. United States side was observed in September bree when Washington dropped charges of violating US laws on doing business with Iran from Meng Wanzhou, chief executive of China’s telecommunications company Huawei. At Washington's request, Canadian officials detained her when she landed in Canada on a 2018 trip. China retaliated by detaining two Canadian businessmen. When Washington dropped the charges, the Canadians were released. Despite the fact that Biden and Xi did not meet "offline", the summit was the last opportunity for a personal conversation in the outgoing year. At the beginning of next year, China will be preparing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and then both countries are likely to be engulfed in domestic problems. Xi will likely be busy preparing for the Chinese Communist Party convention next fall, when he is expected to be appointed to an unprecedented third term and Biden will focus on the US midterm elections.

 

Read also:

Xi Jinping is officially named the founder of the third era of China's communist history

NI: NATO weapons could spark Ukraine's war with Russia

 
View all events