Chinese President Warns U.S. Over Taiwan at Bilateral Meeting
WOODSIDE, California, Nov 15 – Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a warning to U.S. President Joe Biden during their four-hour meeting on Wednesday regarding Taiwan, highlighting it as the most dangerous issue in U.S.-China relations, a senior U.S. official reported.
Xi emphasized China’s preference for peaceful reunification with Taiwan, a region that China claims sovereignty over. However, he also discussed the potential conditions under which force could be utilized, indicating a willingness to resort to military means.
The U.S. official stated, “President Xi … underscored that this was the biggest, most potentially dangerous issue in U.S.-China relations, laid out clearly that, you know, their preference was for peaceful reunification but then moved immediately to conditions that the potential use of force could be utilized.”
In response, President Biden assured Xi that the U.S. is committed to maintaining peace and stability within the region. “President Biden responded very clearly that the long-standing position of the United States was … determination to maintain peace and stability,” the official said.
The Biden-Xi meeting aimed to address tensions between the two superpowers, including military conflicts, drug-trafficking, and artificial intelligence. Both leaders stated that they had made “real progress” during the talks.
China’s increased military activity around Taiwan has caused alarm in the region, with senior U.S. military officers suggesting that Xi has ordered the People’s Liberation Army to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027.
In response to the meeting, Taiwan’s foreign ministry emphasized the importance of international support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. They affirmed that Taiwan will continue to focus on strengthening its defenses and garnering global backing.
The U.S. and China, who have had strained relations, are working to ease friction between the two nations. The meeting between Biden and Xi was the first in a year and sought to address a range of contentious issues between the two global powers.
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates and Tom Hogue