Biden spoke with Chinaโs President Xi. He said he told him of his concerns about Chinaโs actions.ย Beijing claims they told him they expect him to stay out of Chinaโs business. Sounds like it went the way one would expect from Joe. We’re off to a bad start in foreign affairs.
In a Wednesday night tweet, Biden said that he spoke with President Xi. He offered โgood wishes to the Chinese people for Lunar New Year.” He also shared concerns “about Beijingโs economic practices, human rights abuses, and coercion of Taiwan” and told him that Biden “will work with China when it benefits the American people.” That sounds good, but wait.
I spoke today with President Xi to offer good wishes to the Chinese people for Lunar New Year. I also shared concerns about Beijingโs economic practices, human rights abuses, and coercion of Taiwan. I told him I will work with China when it benefits the American people.
โ President Biden (@POTUS) February 11, 2021
According to an account of the conversation onย Chinese state television, Xi said that “cooperation was the only choice and that the two countries need to properly manage disputes in a constructive manner.” Xi also told Biden that “confrontation between China and the United States would be a disaster and the two sides should re-establish the means to avoid misjudgments.”
Xi also said Beijing and Washington should re-establish various mechanisms for dialogue in order to understand each othersโ intentions and avoid misunderstandings, the report said.
Xi allegedly told Biden thatย he hopes the United States will cautiously handle matters related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang that deal with matters of Chinaโs sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Beijingโs version is in line with what Xi has been saying all along.
Well, we’re off to a rollicking bad start. Hong Kong and Taiwan are as good as lost.
Issues regarding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang are Chinaโs domestic affairs that concern Chinaโs sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US should respect Chinaโs core interests and deal with those issues prudently: Xi https://t.co/1FqbOst3k8
โ Global Times (@globaltimesnews) February 11, 2021
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