Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a new set of warnings to Joe Biden in a 3.5-hour long virtual summit on Monday. Amid Biden’s unassertive approach, Xi told him not to play with fire on the Taiwan issue.
Xi Jinping schooled Biden on the Taiwan issue
As the Sino-US presidential talks concluded on Monday, China issued a statement, saying the U.S. extended its support for the one-China policy, claiming it does not support the independence of Taiwan.
China even threatened the U.S. against playing with the fire by meddling in Chinese affairs; that’s not to mention China has issued a warning of military action if Taiwan resists the reunification attempt.
Xi Jinping told Biden if the separatist forces in Taiwan pose any resistance, they will be treated with firm resolve. The Chinese president likewise said to Biden that China will categorically not compromise on its integrity and sovereignty, signaling the U.S. to stay away from Taiwan’s issue.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Biden that encouraging Taiwanese independence would be "playing with fire".
After the US withdrawal from #Afghanistan Taiwan fears they will be betrayed by the US next. Ofc – China knows how to sell it. https://t.co/QJuhdDihJJ
— Farid (@tavosfa) November 16, 2021
Just before the meeting, Xi labeled Biden his “old friend,” saying the meeting with Biden seems good to him. Xi Jinping and Joe Biden enjoyed cordial relations in the past; this has often raised the question of Biden’s impartiality while dealing with China.
Although Biden often said he traveled almost 17,000 miles with Xi Jinping and attended hours-long meetings, the White House declined to accept him as Biden’s old friend.
China dominated the bilateral talks completely
After the virtual summit, the White House also acknowledged China’s claim that America believes in the one-China policy, under which it does not accept Taiwan as an independent country.
The White House denied Xi’s reunification vision, saying it would not allow China to change the “status quo” in the region.
Zack Cooper, the former official of the U.S. Department of Defense, said both the U.S. and China perceive one-China policy differently. Thus, it is difficult for them to come to common grounds and develop a mutual consensus anytime soon.
The Biden administration was also schooled by Chinese officials ahead of the highly awaited summit. On Friday, the Chinese foreign minister called US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and warned him about the U.S. policies in the India-Pacific region.
President Biden reaffirmed America's commitment to the One China policy and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping warned against crossing the ‘red line’ of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, as the two leaders held virtual talks https://t.co/SzOeHXavER pic.twitter.com/xxRj4muPrc
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 16, 2021
While both presidents reportedly agreed to talk on complex topics further, no proper solution to any persisting problem was offered during the whole event. This, thereby, made the meeting ineffective.
Since Trump left office, China has started becoming more aggressive against the U.S., with many serious actions taken in a short span of time. Ranging from launching hypersonic missiles to invading Taiwan’s airspace, China demonstrated its will to come face to face against the U.S.
Despite the fact the GOP lawmakers called Biden to launch a counter-offensive strategy, Democrats fail to take any actionable measure against the “old friend” of Biden, which has further deteriorated the situation.
