Biden and Xi: First phone call in seven months

For the first time since February, US President Biden and China’s head of state Xi spoke on the phone. Both sides then spoke of an “open” dialogue. There are plenty of things to talk about.

Trade relations, human rights, Taiwan: these are just three of the many points of contention between the US and China. The bilateral relations are considered tense. Now, after a break of around seven months, US President Joe Biden and China’s head of state and party Xi Jinping have spoken to each other again on the phone.

According to the White House, there was “a broad, strategic discussion”. The two statesmen had “discussed areas where our interests collide and areas where our interests, values ​​and perspectives diverge”. In the 90-minute conversation, Biden and Xi agreed “to address both catalogs of problems openly and directly”.

Biden underscored the US interest in peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the rest of the world. The White House also said that efforts to ensure that the competition between countries should not result in a conflict had been discussed.

China speaks of “open” exchanges

The Chinese state media reported an “open” and “in-depth” discussion. Xi has made it clear that the US attitude is a burden on mutual relations. It was agreed to exchange information regularly.

Xi pointed out to Biden the importance of constructive relations between the two countries for “the fate of the world”. “And this is a question of the century that both countries have to answer,” added Xi.

It was only the second telephone conversation between the two presidents since Biden took office in January. Since the time of his predecessor Donald Trump, the two nations have been embroiled in a trade conflict with mutual punitive tariffs.