White House: "US-China Leaders' Call Aimed at Maintaining Communication Channels"

President Joe Biden of the United States (left) and President Xi Jinping of China
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The White House stated that the phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping was "to maintain communication channels between the two countries."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained this during a briefing with local media on the 10th (local time), saying, "The tone during the 90-minute call was not lecturing or condescending, but respectful and candid." She added, "President Biden did not avoid dialogue on areas where there were disagreements."

However, Psaki said that although various international issues, including COVID-19, were discussed, she declined to comment when asked whether President Biden pressured President Xi regarding the origin of COVID-19. She also explained that during the call the previous day, the two leaders discussed climate change and human rights issues, and while economic topics were also mentioned, they were not a major part of the conversation.

The two leaders spoke for the first time in seven months since February. It is known that this call was arranged at President Biden's request.

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