President Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday that U.S. policy on Taiwan had not changed and that the U.S. “strongly opposes” any actions that threaten stability across the Taiwan Strait, according to a White House readout.
“On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the White House readout said.
The White House said the two leaders discussed a “range of issues” during the nearly 2 1/2-hour phone call Thursday morning and asked their teams to follow up on discussions about climate change and health security.
Tensions about Taiwan — a self-governed island that Beijing claims sovereignty over — loomed over the Thursday’s call, the fifth between the two leaders since Biden took office.
The call took place after China issued warnings over reports that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) planned to visit Taiwan in the coming weeks. Neither the White House nor the Chinese readout of Thursday’s call made specific mention of Pelosi’s plans, which have not yet been finalized.
A lengthy readout from China’s foreign ministry said that Xi “elaborated on China’s principled position on the Taiwan question” and made clear China’s opposition to Taiwanese independence.
“The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent, and resolutely safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. The public opinion cannot be defied. Those who play with fire will perish by it,” the Chinese readout said.
“It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this. The US should honor the one-China principle and implement the three joint communiqués both in word and in deed,” it continued.
The Chinese military has conducted provocative incursions into Taiwan’s airspace, and reports about Pelosi’s plans for a trip have raised concerns that Beijing could stage a forceful response. Biden indicated to reporters last week that the U.S. military had concerns about plans for the trip.
The U.S. has routinely warned China against making moves on Taiwan.
Biden said during his first trip to Asia as president back in May that the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense if China invaded, prompting an angry response from the Chinese.
The White House has insisted that Biden’s words did not represent a change in U.S. policy and that the U.S. still adheres to the “one China” policy and strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan.
