US President Biden Considers Establishing 'Hotline' with Chinese President Xi Jinping

President Joe Biden of the United States. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] The United States is considering establishing a hotline between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to CNN on the 14th (local time), the hotline is likely to be a method where the president and senior officials send encrypted calls or messages to President Xi and his close aides. The purpose is to share urgent information when sudden military conflicts occur. However, it is still in the initial planning stage and has not been formally proposed to China.

The U.S. Department of State and the National Security Council (NSC) are reportedly studying how the hotline device could technically operate. They have not yet discussed how to connect with China while developing the overall concept.

The hotline concept began during the Barack Obama administration but reportedly did not progress. This is because there are many issues to resolve, including obtaining China’s consent.

Nevertheless, close aides say the Biden administration wants a rapid communication channel. In a situation where military tensions with China are escalating, the hotline could be a way to reduce the risk of conflict between the two countries.

A senior U.S. government official declined to comment on the hotline establishment but emphasized, “We are interested in ensuring that competition with China is managed responsibly,” and “We will continue efforts to prevent competition from escalating into conflict.”

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