Biden, Xi stick to their positions but turn down the heat in three-hour
talk
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[November 16, 2021]
By Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina and Yew Lun Tian
WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) -U.S.
President Joe Biden pressed his Chinese counterpart on human rights in a
video call lasting more than three hours, while Xi Jinping warned that
China would respond to provocations on Taiwan, according to official
accounts of the exchange.
The closely scrutinized conversation between the leaders of the world's
biggest economies was described by both sides as frank and direct as the
two sides tried to lower the temperature and avoid conflict.
The talks, which began on Monday evening in Washington - Tuesday morning
in Beijing - appeared to yield no immediate outcomes, but gave the two
leaders opportunity to nudge their relations away from icy
confrontation, even as they stuck to entrenched positions.
They discussed North Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, global energy markets,
trade and competition, climate, military issues, the pandemic and other
areas where they frequently disagree.
Xi, who has not left his country since COVID-19 spread worldwide from
the central Chinese city of Wuhan nearly two years ago, compared the two
countries to "two giant ships sailing in the sea" that needed to be
steadied so they didn't collide, Chinese state media reported.
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"I hope that, Mr. President, you can exercise political leadership to
return the United States' China policy to a rational and pragmatic
track," Xi told Biden, according to Xinhua, a reference to
tough-on-China policies that Beijing hoped would be rolled back after
Biden came to office.
Biden spoke of 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 reporters at the start of the meeting. "Just
simple, straightforward competition."
The leaders had a "healthy debate", a senior U.S. official said
afterwards. Biden stressed the importance of China fulfilling its
commitments under a trade pact negotiated with Biden's predecessor,
Donald Trump, the U.S. official said.
China is lagging in a commitment to buy $200 billion more in U.S. goods
and services, but Xi told Biden that it was important to avoid
politicizing the issue.
The two also discussed taking measures to address global energy
supplies, U.S. officials said.
The contentious issue of whether the United States will send White House
envoys to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February did not come up, the
U.S. official said.
Chinese state media struck an upbeat tone.
"The summit could be taken as a sign that the two economic and political
heavyweights could at least avoid a further deterioration in their ties
after four years of damage caused by the reckless Trump administration,"
Wen Sheng, a Global Times editor, wrote in a commentary.
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President Joe Biden told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that he hoped to
have a candid conversation about human rights and security issues as
the two began a meeting meant to lower tensions between the two
global superpowers.
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RED LINE FOR TAIWAN
Sharp differences over the self-ruled island of Taiwan remain.
While Biden reiterated long-standing U.S. support for the "One
China" policy under which it officially recognises Beijing rather
than Taipei, he also said he "strongly opposes unilateral efforts to
change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the
Taiwan Strait", the White House said.
Xi said those in Taiwan who seek independence, and their supporters
in the United States, were "playing with fire", according to Xinhua.
"China is patient and seeks peaceful reunification with great
sincerity and effort, but if Taiwan secessionists provoke, or even
cross the red line, we will have to take decisive measures," he
said.
A U.S. official said "there was nothing new established in the form
of guard rails or any other understandings" on Taiwan, though Biden
raised "very clear concerns."
China claims the island as its own. Beijing has vowed to bring the
island under Chinese control, by force if necessary, and tensions
across the Taiwan Strait have escalated in recent months.
Beijing objects to Washington's efforts to carve out more space for
Taiwan in the international system, and recent comments by Biden
that the United States would defend Taiwan in certain cases also
inflamed tensions.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, responding to Xi's remarks,
denounced China's "pressure and intimidation", saying the island's
people would not give in to threats.
Biden raised other issues that Beijing regards as domestic concerns,
including its handling of Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, where
China's policies face frequent censure by foreign rights groups.
Biden and Xi have not had a face-to-face meeting since Biden became
president and the last time they spoke was by telephone in
September. The U.S. president smiled broadly as the Chinese
president appeared on a large screen in the White House conference
room.
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The tone of the meeting lifted investor sentiment, with global
stocks hitting new peaks.
"At least they are talking," economist Wellian Wiranto of OCBC Bank
in Singapore wrote during the talks. "That seems to be the main
expectation by global markets when it comes to any concrete outcome
– or a lack thereof."
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina in
Washington, and Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Additional reporting by
Gabriel Crossley, Ryan Woo, Tony Munroe, Ben Blanchard and Trevor
Hunnicutt; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons
and Michael Perry)
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