This Wednesday US President Joe Biden spoke to the Chinese President Xi Jinping, cornering his Chinese counterpart about trade and Beijing’s invasions in Hong Kong, Xinjiang as well as its crackdowns in Taiwan.
This was Biden’s first conversation with Chinese president since he assumed control of the Oval office on January 20, and came out moments after he directed the United States military to check its national security strategy in China. A White House statement said that the POTUS raised concerns about Beijing’s “coercive and unfair economic practices”, and told the Chinese Supreme that it is US’ priority and motive to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The US leader also remarked about his “fundamental concerns about China’s crackdown in Hong Kong, extensive human rights abuse in Xinjiang, and alarmingly increasing assertive actions toward Taiwan,”
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However, tensions between the world’s two superpowers are at their lowest in decades. Biden has called Beijing Washington’s “most serious competitor”, he added that he is also willing to work with China on shared global difficulties.
The White House said the two leaders exchanged views on the enraging COVID-19 pandemic, as well as on measures to prevent rapid climate changes and preventing weapons proliferation in mass, indirectly urging the Chinese to cooperate with US in persuading North Korea to put an end to its nuclear weapons.
However, Beijing has second thoughts on the partnership with US. For instance it has been angered by US warships sailing through the Taiwan Strait, the first such operation under the new President Biden’s administration.
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Biden made his first visit to the Department of Defence on Wednesday and announced that Pentagon will work towards developing a new China task force “to overlook at the strategy and operational concepts, technology and force enactment”.
The Chinese task force will be handled by Ely Ratner, a former NSA to President Biden assigned to Austin’s staff made up of 15 civilian and military officials.
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Biden, who had experience with the proceedings with Chinese leader when he served as US vice president,
Biden in his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, promised his protection for the Senkaku Islands, a group of uninhabited islets administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing.
