In Two-Hour Candid Chat, Biden, Xi Discuss Taiwan, Fentanyl, AI Risks And Red Lines

In their first conversation since last November’s landmark summit, President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in a “candid and constructive” call on Tuesday, addressing a range of contentious issues straining relations between the two superpowers.

The White House described the nearly two-hour dialogue as an opportunity for the leaders to reaffirm their commitment to maintaining open lines of communication amid heightened global tensions stemming from the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as rising concerns over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

“The two leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship through high-level diplomacy and working-level consultations in the weeks and months ahead,” the readout stated, noting Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China.

A key focus was the brewing crisis over Taiwan, with Biden reiterating Washington’s longstanding “One China” policy while opposing any unilateral efforts to alter the status quo regarding the self-governing island. For his part, Xi warned that Taiwan remains the “first red line” that must not be crossed, vowing to counter any separatist activities or external support for Taiwan’s independence.

Human rights issues, including China’s treatment of minority groups and the crackdown on Hong Kong’s freedoms, also featured prominently in the discussion, with Biden raising concerns over the plights of detained Americans in China.

On the economic front, Biden pressed Xi over China’s “unfair trade practices” that harm American workers, while asserting that the U.S. would take steps to safeguard its interests by limiting transfers of sensitive technologies that could undermine national security.

The two leaders sought progress on areas of potential cooperation as well. Biden called on China to fulfill its commitments to curb the flow of illegal fentanyl into the U.S., while both expressed interest in holding formal talks on the risks and governance of advanced artificial intelligence systems—a key emerging technology.

Underlining the push to restore regular high-level engagements, the call precedes visits to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen later this week and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the coming weeks. Yellen aims to address trade frictions and press Beijing on its “unfair” economic practices during her meetings with Chinese counterparts.

(With inputs from AP)

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