biden-spoke-with-president-of-china,-xi-jinping,-by-telephone,-amid-tensions-between-both-countriesBiden spoke with President of China, Xi Jinping, by telephone, amid tensions between both countries
Jerald Jimenez Avatar

By Jerald Jimenez

03 Apr 2024, 12:23 PM EDT

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, held a telephone conversation with the president of China, Xi Jinping, in what was the first communication between both leaders since the meeting they held in person in November of last year in San Francisco, California. .

According to a senior Biden Administration official, cited by ABC News, the leaders discussed several topics, including the economic relationship between both powers, advances in artificial intelligence, climate change and the fight against the flow of illegal drugs. .

Officials downplayed expectations from the communication, which lasted 105 minutes, describing it as a “check” amid management’s efforts to “maintain regular open lines of communication to responsibly manage competition and avoid unintended consequences,” the company said. government source.

During the previous meeting between Biden and Xi in Woodside, outside San Francisco, in 2023, both leaders agreed to continue talking as they face global challenges. The recent telephone conversation focused on “finding an opportunity for the two leaders to talk about difficult issues,” adds the senior US official.

“They reviewed and encouraged progress on key issues discussed at the Woodside Summit, including counter-narcotics cooperation, continued military-to-military communication, talks to address risks related to AI, and continued efforts on climate change and people-to-people exchanges.” ”, according to a reading of the phone call.

For his part, Biden also emphasized “the importance of maintaining peace and stability” in Taiwan, and expressed concern about China’s support for Russia’s military defense.

Likewise, the Democratic leader spoke with his Chinese counterpart about trade policies and other economic practices that “harm American workers and families,” says the White House.

The meeting takes place in a context in which Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to travel to China this Wednesday in what will be a week of bilateral meetings. The official is expected to press her counterparts on expanding US-China cooperation against illicit finance, expanding trade practices and prioritizing financial stability and climate change.

With information from ABC News

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