BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden held a virtual meeting that last for three hours wherein former warned that China would respond to provocations on Taiwan.
The talks between the world’s two most powerful nations are the most significant since Mr Biden took office in January.
The Xi-Biden virtual meeting, which concluded on Tuesday is being termed as frank, in-depth, constructive and fruitful by the both sides.
Xi and Biden discussed areas including Taiwan, trade and climate change at a time when the two countries have gone through a turbulent year of up and down in bilateral ties, said CGTN in its report.
Talking about Taiwan, President Xi said the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques are the political foundation for China-US relations.
“We have patience and will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and efforts,” said Xi, while warning that if “Taiwan independence” forces provoke the issue or even cross the red line, the mainland will have to take resolute measures.
The Chinese president noted that recently, the situation across the Taiwan Straits has become tense again because the Taiwan authorities repeatedly look for US support to fulfill their independence agenda and attempts by some Americans to use Taiwan to contain China.
“Such moves are extremely dangerous, just like playing with fire. Whoever plays with fire will get burnt,” Xi told Biden.
Xi also noted that “there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. ”
China’s complete reunification is an aspiration shared by all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, he said.
For his part, Biden said the U.S. has maintained its longstanding one-China policy and that his government does not support “Taiwan independence” forces and hopes the cross-strait situation remains peaceful and stable.
The US has no intention to change the Chinese system, does not seek to oppose China through strengthened alliances and has no intention of engaging in conflict with China, the U.S. president said.
The Chinese president also called for differences between China and the US and sensitive issues to be settled in a constructive way to avoid China-U.S. relations falling out of control.
He stressed on enhancing communication and cooperation between the world’s two largest economies in order to address the multiple challenges being faced by humanity.
Xi stressed that a sound and steady China-U.S. relationship is required for advancing the two countries’ respective development and for safeguarding a peaceful and stable international environment, includingfinding effective responses to global challenges such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
China and the US should respect each other, coexist in peace, and pursue win-win cooperation. Xi expressed his readiness to work with President Biden to build consensus and take active steps to move China-U.S. relations forward in a positive direction.
Biden also called for avoiding conflict as well.
“It seems to me our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States is to ensure that our competition between our countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended,” Biden said during a short exchange observed by American reporters.
