Biden Holds First Call with Xi Jinping 21 Days into Presidency... 'Pressure on Human Rights and Trade'

Biden Directly Addresses Sensitive Hong Kong and Xinjiang Issues
Xi Jinping Responds to Biden's Offensive with "Cooperation Is the Right Choice"

U.S. President Joe Biden had his first phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office on the 10th (local time), the White House announced. It has been 21 days since his inauguration. Photo by U.S. Embassy in China website

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] U.S. President Joe Biden held his first phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office on the 10th (local time), the White House announced. It was 21 days after his inauguration.

This is the first phone call between the leaders of the U.S. and China since the call between former U.S. President Donald Trump and President Xi in March last year.

According to the AP News on the 10th (local time), during the call with President Xi, President Biden mentioned human rights issues in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as Taiwan's diplomatic matters. President Biden also expressed concerns about unfair economic practices by Chinese authorities.

The White House explained that the two leaders also exchanged views on measures to respond to COVID-19, climate change policies, and the prevention of weapons of mass destruction.

China's CCTV reported that during the call, President Xi responded by saying, "A confrontation between the U.S. and China would be a disaster for both countries," and added, "The U.S. should handle issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Taiwan carefully."

President Xi stated, "To avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments between the two countries, it is necessary to reestablish dialogue mechanisms," and added, "Cooperation with President Biden will be the right choice for both countries."

Conflicts between the U.S. and China have continued even after President Biden took office. In their first call, when President Biden mentioned sensitive issues such as human rights and the Indo-Pacific region, which China reacts to sensitively, President Xi responded with gestures pressuring the Biden administration for cooperation with China. This is interpreted as indicating that relations between the two countries could become more difficult than during the previous Trump administration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.