The lead-up to Tuesday morning’s virtual peak between United States President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping has seen the two countries change sharp reflections on Taiwan, one of numerous thorny issues on which both sides are doubtful to make important advance.
In a telephone call between topU.S. and Chinese diplomats, both sides expressed enterprises over the other’s position on Taiwan, with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi attacking “ theU.S.’s wrong words and deeds” and saying that “ any collusion of and support for the‘Taiwan independence’forces.would only boomerang in the end.”
China last also week hit out at a visit by aU.S. congressional delegation to Taiwan, while the People’s Liberation Army carried out further drills that have followed recent record upstanding intrusions into Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone.
Biden-Xi set virtual peak for November 15 to bandy pressures
In the phone call,U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken “ expressed concern regarding the PRC’s (People’s Republic of China’s) continued service, politic, and profitable pressure against Taiwan” and “ prompted Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue to resolvecross-Strait issues peacefully and in a manner harmonious with the wishes and stylish interests of the people on Taiwan.”
‘ Red lines’
Mr. Xi still is anticipated to support China’s “ red lines” on the Taiwan issue in Tuesday’s virtual peak, one of numerous points of difference on which the two sides are doubtful to reach a meeting of minds.
The measured anticipation ahead of the peak is a lowering of temperatures and an enhancement in tone after times of a resentful relationship marked by a trade war during the term of the Trump administration and pressures that have continued this time under the Biden administration, a reflection of an decreasingly bipartisan agreement in Washington on the approach to China.
One point of difference with the new administration appears to be its keenness to find common ground with China on some issues similar as climate change, on which the two countries lately blazoned a new cooperation agreement, indeed though officers have made clear they still viewed China as the primary strategic challenge. On the other hand, the Biden administration has said it would seek to work more effectively withU.S. abettors and mates, including with the Quad grouping, in coming up with a more coherent approach to China, while also speaking out further on mortal rights issues.
Common ground
Italicizing the state of relations,Mr. Biden andMr. Xi have only had two phone calls this time, the first shortly after the induction. In the alternate call in September, theU.S. President told his counterpart that both sides demanded “ to insure competition doesn’t veer into conflict” as they deal with a growing list of differences.
Two months before that call, the Chinese side had presented theU.S. in addresses in Tianjin with two “ lists” of demands, named a “ List ofU.S. Wrongdoings that Must Stop” and a “ List of Crucial Individual Cases that China Has Enterprises With.” Among those demands were unconditionally junking of visa restrictions on Communist Party members and pullout of an repatriation request for Meng Wanzhou, the principal fiscal officer of tech establishment Huawei who was arrested in Canada for violatingU.S. warrants on Iran. The ultimate demand was met, withMs. Meng allowed to return to China in October.
Tuesday’s peak may pave the way for other limited agreements, including on continuing consulates that were closed down during the time of the Trump administration and on visas. Abecedarian differences, still, remain, withMr. Biden probably to repeatU.S. enterprises on Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong andMr. Xi anticipated to brush-off them.
