UPDATED: Chinese President Xi, US President Biden had phones on Thursday
UPDATED: Chinese President Xi, US President Biden had phones on Thursday

UPDATED: Chinese President Xi, US President Biden had phones on Thursday

 

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden had a phone call on Thursday, and the two had candid comunications and exchange opinions regarding China-US relations and topics of mutual interest, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

Xi emphasized that viewing China as the most prominent competitor and most severe long-term challenge would be a misinterpretation of the China-US relations and China’s development, which would in turn create misunderstanding among the people of the two countries and the international community.

The two sides need to maintain communication at all levels and make good use of existing communication channels to promote bilateral cooperation, Xi said.

Xi underscored the need for China and the US to maintain communication on such important issues as coordinating macroeconomic policies, keeping global industrial and supply chains stable, and protecting global energy and food security.

Attempts at decoupling or severing supply chains in defiance of underlying laws would not help boost the US economy and would only make the world economy more vulnerable, he said.

He elaborated on China’s principled position on the Taiwan question, saying that the historical context of the Taiwan question is crystal clear, and so are the fact and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China.

Earlier on the day, the White House said the phone call began at 8:33 am (1233 GMT) and US officials said it would have a broad agenda, including discussion of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which China has yet to condemn.

“This is about keeping the lines of communication open with the president of China, one of the most consequential bilateral relationships that we have, not just in that region, but around the world, because it touches so much,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.