(Washington) Chinese Presidents Xi Jinping and American President Joe Biden spoke by telephone on Tuesday, their first conversation since a summit last November in California, with the objective according to the White House of “managing tensions” between the two superpowers.
“The two heads of state had a frank and in-depth exchange of views on Sino-US relations and issues of common concern to both sides,” state broadcaster CCTV said, while the House- Blanche spoke in a press release of a conversation focusing as much on the possibilities of “cooperation” as on “differences” of views.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will go to China “in the coming days”, and the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken will go there “in the coming weeks” in order to continue the dialogue, announced for her part a senior official of the White House.
This source, who requested anonymity, indicated that the two leaders’ conversation was not designed to lead to “announcements”, but to “take stock” after their summit last November.
This summit made it possible to renew dialogue after a period of very strong tension at the start of 2023, linked to the flight over American territory by a Chinese balloon.
“Intense competition requires intense diplomatic activity to manage tensions, address misunderstandings and avoid unwanted confrontation. This phone call is a way of doing that,” explained the American official, during an interview with the press which took place before the two leaders’ conversation.
If dialogue is re-established, there is no shortage of reasons for friction between China and the United States.
Joe Biden thus expressed his “concern” about the economic and industrial support that Beijing offers to Moscow, according to the official White House press release.
“As time has passed, we have really seen China move to help Russia rebuild its defense industrial base, compensating for trade relations disrupted by European partners, helping to supply components that can gradually build capabilities Russians in Ukraine,” explained the senior official.
The link between China and Iran was also to be addressed by the two leaders, according to the same source.
The United States would like China to use its influence to stop attacks by the Houthis, a group of Yemeni rebels supported by Tehran, on ships in the Red Sea.
Joe Biden also reaffirmed “the importance of maintaining peace and stability” around Taiwan, shortly before the inauguration of the new Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te, according to the American press release.
The United States does not support the independence of this island, of which Beijing claims sovereignty, but it helps it militarily and opposes any change in the status quo by force.
The 81-year-old democrat also intended, according to the same source, to express his “concern” about Chinese “destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea, in particular after repeated incidents with the Philippines.
The senior American official also mentioned other points of friction between the two great powers, whether Beijing’s commercial practices, deemed “unfair” by Washington, “the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy” or human rights. .
Beyond the subjects of tension, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, however, renewed their intention to cooperate where possible, in artificial intelligence and the fight against drug trafficking, as well as their desire to have regular military communications , according to the White House.