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U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese language President Xi Jinping agreed to renew high-level army communication after they met in individual Wednesday for the primary time in a 12 months in San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation convention.
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Photos
BEIJING — U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese language President Xi Jinping have agreed to renew high-level army communication, in keeping with each international locations.
The 2 leaders met in individual for the primary time in a 12 months Wednesday native time in San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation convention.
“We’re again to direct, open, clear communications,” Biden mentioned at a press convention after the talks.
China has carried out army workouts round Taiwan, whereas its navy has been participating in aggressive maneuvers within the South China Sea in a standoff with the Philippines as each international locations stake their territorial claims.
The U.S. has needed to revive the army communication, particularly after some near-miss incidents the place China’s ships nearly collided with American forces.
“Very important miscalculations on both aspect may cause actual bother with a rustic like China or every other main nation,” Biden mentioned on the post-meeting press briefing.
China’s Protection Ministry declined a name with its U.S. counterpart in early February after the invention of an alleged Chinese language spy balloon over U.S. airspace. The balloon incident delayed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s extremely anticipated journey to China by greater than 4 months.
In June, the protection chiefs from each international locations attended an annual safety summit in Singapore, however they didn’t have a proper assembly.
When Blinken lastly visited China, he mentioned he “repeatedly” raised the necessity for direct communication between the 2 international locations’ militaries however did not revive such talks.
China has but to call a protection minister after dismissing Gen. Li Shangfu from the place with out clarification in late October.
U.S. Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin will meet along with his Chinese language counterpart when the Chinese language protection chief is chosen, a senior Biden administration official instructed reporters after the Biden-Xi summit.
As a part of the settlement, senior U.S. army commanders together with that of Pacific forces in Hawaii will interact with their Chinese language counterparts, the official mentioned.
The 2 international locations additionally plan to determine methods for ship drivers and others to debate incidents and, probably, finest practices, the official mentioned.
A readout revealed by Chinese language state media added the resumption of such army talks was “on the premise of equality and respect,” in keeping with a CNBC translation.
Taiwan
On the presser, Biden reiterated the U.S. place that Taiwan maintains its sovereignty, regardless of China’s claims on the contrary.
“We preserve the settlement that there’s a One-China coverage and I am not going to alter that, that is not going to alter. That is concerning the extent to which we mentioned,” he mentioned.
In keeping with Chinese language state media, Xi identified throughout the bilateral assembly that Taiwan has all the time been the “most necessary and delicate” problem in China’s relations with the U.S.. He mentioned within the report that China “takes significantly” constructive statements the U.S. made throughout his assembly with Biden final 12 months in Indonesia.
“The U.S. ought to use concrete actions to replicate its stance of not supporting ‘Taiwan independence,’ cease arming Taiwan and assist China’s peaceable reunification,” state media reported. “China will in the end be reunified and can inevitably be reunified.”
Beijing considers Taiwan a part of its territory, with no proper to independently conduct diplomatic relations. The U.S. acknowledges Beijing as the only authorities of China however maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan, a democratically self-governed island.
AI, fentanyl and extra
Chinese language state media additionally mentioned the 2 sides agreed to determine an intergovernmental dialogue on synthetic intelligence, arrange a working group on drug management, “considerably” improve flights between the 2 international locations subsequent 12 months and broaden exchanges in areas resembling schooling, enterprise and tradition.
The U.S. senior administration official mentioned the Chinese language have been already taking motion on practically 24 firms that make precursors for fentanyl — an addictive drug that’s led to overdoses and deaths in the U.S.
Biden said at the post-meeting presser that the two leaders agreed that fentanyl production needs to be “curbed substantially.”
On artificial intelligence, however, the official said it was too early for a joint declaration by the two leaders, and noted the need to prevent the incorrect use of AI in military or nuclear operations.
Trade and sanctions
The Biden administration has announced export controls and sanctions on Chinese companies in an effort to limit U.S. companies’ contribution to technology that supports China’s military.
Xi noted the export controls, investment reviews and sanctions in the meeting, and called for the U.S. to lift the sanctions and provide a non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies, Chinese state media said.
Biden also brought up difficulties around travel harassment of Americans in China, and a business environment that wasn’t as welcoming as it was in the past, the U.S. senior administration official said.
But overall the official described the meeting as more personal than the last time the two leaders met.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Biden called his day of meetings with Xi “some of the most constructive and productive discussions we have had.”
“We constructed on groundwork laid over the previous a number of months of diplomacy between our international locations and made necessary progress.”
— CNBC’s Christina Wilkie and Clement Tan contributed to this report.
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