President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday morning in their efforts to reduce tension between the two countries and continue the reestablishment of their communication lines.
Tuesday’s call was the first time the two leaders had spoken since their November 2023 summit meeting in San Francisco, California. That meeting was a major step in the U.S.’s efforts to reopen the lines of communication with Beijing, which had dissolved over the previous year.
Biden and Xi have met in person or spoken a handful of times during the Biden administration as the U.S. seeks to curb Chinese military aggression while partnering on efforts where their interests align including in stopping the flow of deadly drugs and climate change.
“The two leaders held a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of cooperation and areas of difference,” the White House said in a readout of the call. “They reviewed and encouraged progress on key issues discussed at the Woodside Summit, including counternarcotics cooperation, ongoing military-to-military communication, talks to address AI-related risks, and continuing efforts on climate change and people-to-people exchanges.”
Both leaders “welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship through high-level diplomacy,” the readout said.
A senior administration official characterized the call as the leaders “checking in” on the goals they agreed to work together on during their summit last November.
A number of administration officials have also met with their Chinese counterparts in recent months and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Beijing in the next couple of days, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to do the same in the coming weeks.
The Chinese government avoided U.S. outreach for more than a year in response to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit to Taiwan. Both during that time period and in the time since they restarted conversations, the U.S. has emphasized the importance of open lines of communication especially in times of tension.
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The Chinese military’s recent aggression in the South China Sea has been a concern for the U.S. for months due to a series of unsafe interactions with Chinese military personnel, which Biden raised during his conversation with Xi.
“President Biden emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” the readout continued, noting that he also “raised concerns” about China’s support for Russia’s industrial base.
