Biden hopes to avoid 'unintended conflict' over Taiwan

President Joe Biden hopes his impending conversation with Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping will help mitigate the risk of an “unintended conflict,” as Beijing’s desire for control over Taiwan raises the specter of war over the island democracy.

“It’s about setting the terms of the competition in two key areas. One, ensuring that the competition does not lead to conflict,” a senior administration official told reporters in a preview of their Monday teleconference. “We want to build common-sense guardrails to avoid miscalculation or misunderstanding.”