In call with Biden, China's Xi warns against 'playing with fire' over Taiwan

WASHINGTON: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Joe Biden against “playing with fire” over Taiwan, as concerns mounted over a possible visit to the Chinese-claimed island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Chinese state media said Xi told Biden in their fifth call as leaders that the United States should abide by the “one-China principle” and stressed that China firmly opposed Taiwanese independence and interference of external forces.

Biden told Xi that US policy on Taiwan had not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait – a reference to the 100-mile-wide body of water separating the island from the mainland, a White House statement said.

While highligting Taiwan, Xi also stressed that the two sides needed to maintain communication on macroeconomic policies, global supply chains, and safeguarding global food and energy security, Chinese state media said.

Beijing has issued escalating warnings about repercussions should Pelosi – a Democrat like Biden – visit Taiwan, which says it is facing increasing Chinese military and economic threats. A visit by the House speaker would be a dramatic, though not unprecedented, show of US support for the island.

“Those who play with fire will only get burnt,” Chinese state media quote Xi as telling Biden. “(We) hope the U.S. side can see this clearly.”

The White House readout said the two leaders also discussed a range of other issues, including climate change and health security.

China has given few clues to specific responses it might make if Pelosi, a long-time critic of Beijing, particularly on human rights issues, makes the trip. Pelosi had yet to confirm the trip.

The presidents’ call lasted over two hours. US officials had said it would have a broad agenda, including discussion of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which China has yet to condemn.

At its core though, US officials said they saw the exchange as another chance to manage competition between the world’s two largest economies, whose ties have been increasingly clouded by tensions over democratically governed Taiwan, which Xi has vowed to reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Washington does not have official relations with Taiwan and follows a “one-China policy” that recognizes Beijing, not Taipei, diplomatically. But it is obliged by US law to provide the island with the means to defend itself, and pressure has been mounting in Congress for more explicit support.

“The call was a part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the PRC and responsibly manage our differences and work together where our interests align,” the White House said.

One person briefed on planning for the call said the Biden administration thinks leader-to-leader engagement is the best way to lower tensions over Taiwan.

Both countries have faced economic difficulties this year. China’s $18 trillion economy has been battered by its strict domestic COVID regulations and full lockdowns of cities like Shanghai, while the United States is battling surging inflation amid concerns of a recession.

As well as climate and economic issues, Biden had been keen in the call to discuss the idea of placing a price cap on Russian oil to punish Moscow for its war in Ukraine, which Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen raised with Chinese counterparts earlier this month, the person who was briefed said.

The Biden administration has been debating whether to lift some tariffs on Chinese goods as a way to ease soaring inflation, but US officials said a decision was not expected ahead of the call. read more

When Biden last spoke to Xi in March, he warned of “consequences” if Beijing gave material support for Russia’s war, and the U.S. government believes that that red line has not been crossed in the months since.

The White House says the administration has been in touch with Pelosi’s office to make sure she has “all the context” she needs to make decisions about her travel.