A telephonic conversation of 105-minute duration between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the most recent display of their concerted efforts to mend the relationship between two of the world’s major powers. Nevertheless, the official accounts from both the US and China imply that neither party anticipates rapid progress on the economic and geopolitical issues setting them apart.
During the conversation, Xi cautioned Biden against backing Taipei’s “separatist activities”, a clear red line for Beijing, and expressed grievances about American attempts to curb China’s trade and technological evolution. Biden, on the other hand, reprimanded Xi for Beijing’s backing of Russia’s arms industry, despite the fact China does not sell deadly weapons for the conflict in Ukraine.
This interaction was held ahead of a tripartite summit of the US, Japan, and the Philippines, aimed at bolstering their united stance against Chinese territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. Beijing and Manila have been involved in a disputed area of the South China Sea, with a potentially violent turn of events in the aftermath of water cannon firing on Philippine ships by the Chinese coast guard.
The Chinese official account of this conversation highlights three key principles outlined by Xi that should govern US-China relations into 2024. He suggests the emphasis should be on peace, relations should be devoid of conflict and confrontation, and a positive outlook should be fostered. Stability is to be prioritised, taking care not to provoke incidents or overstep boundaries that could destabilise the relationship. Finally, credibility established through honouring commitments to each other with actions.
Both parties, in recent years, have strayed from these principles, engaging in provocative behaviour and failing to uphold commitments. Such actions have contributed to the deterioration of trust between the two nations, a consequence that the recent conversation aims to address.
The United States contemplates levying higher duties on selected Chinese products and urges allies to impose stricter restrictions on technological exports to China. In contrast, China continues its pursuit of an industrial policy likely to result in an overproduction of manufactured goods, a situation causing concern for the US and the European Union.
The Biden-Xi conversation did not resolve these conflicting issues, but its occurrence marks a shift towards de-escalation since their San Francisco meeting in November of the previous year. Both parties hope that by maintaining open lines of communication, they can manage their competition, forestall any detrimental effects on their interests, and uphold global stability.