2 hours 20 minutes call ‘crash’ following 4 months
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a ‘variable’
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping clashed once more over the Taiwan issue in their first phone call in more than four months. President Biden expressed his opposition to China’s attempts to change the status quo. Xi countered with a stern remark: “If you play with fire, you will burn to death.” However, the two leaders decided to hold their first face-to-face summit, leaving room for continued dialogue. The future visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan is expected to be a key variable in bilateral relations.
President Biden and President Xi had a phone call for 2 hours and 20 minutes on the 28th (local time). Although the two leaders discussed extensively on international and regional issues such as bilateral relations and the Ukraine crisis, the main topic was the Taiwan issue.
“U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed,” Biden said, adding that he “strongly opposes any unilateral attempt to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” the White House said.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Xi said, “We resolutely oppose Taiwan’s independence, division, and interference from outside forces, and will not leave any space for Taiwanese independence forces in any form. The firm will of the 1.4 billion Chinese people,” he said. He continued, “The will of the people cannot be resisted, and if he plays with fire, he will inevitably burn himself to death. I hope the U.S. side sees this clearly.” In a video conversation with President Biden in November last year, Xi said that “those who play with fire will burn themselves to death” regarding the Taiwan issue.
A senior White House official explained that the two leaders had “candid and direct discussions on the Taiwan issue.” Regarding President Xi’s use of the phrase ‘burn to death’, he said, “I will not analyze the metaphor that China regularly uses.”
The two leaders also engaged in a war of nerves over economic issues. President Biden addressed concerns regarding China’s unfair economic practices that harm American workers and families, while Xi expressed dissatisfaction with US moves to exclude China from supply chains, including through the semiconductor alliance.
The call took place amid heightened tensions between the US and China following media reports that House Speaker Pelosi is planning to visit Taiwan next month. China has been taking a hard line on Pelosi’s plans to visit Taiwan, saying it will not be left behind.
The two leaders agreed to coordinate a specific schedule for the first face-to-face meeting. A senior White House official said, “The two leaders had different views on the Taiwan issue, but they discussed the importance of maintaining an open communication channel.” China’s state-run Global Times said, “The two leaders frankly expressed their intention to cooperate without avoiding their differences.”
Bloomberg and NBC reported that Chairman Pelosi decided to tour the Asia-Pacific region including Korea, Japan and Singapore on the 29th, but it is unclear whether he will visit Taiwan. Yang Si-yu, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times, “If Chairman Pelosi abandons his visit to Taiwan, it will be an important outcome for the bilateral summit and a period of stability in China-US relations will be established. It will bring great uncertainty.”
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