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The confrontation between China and the United States would be a “disaster” and the two should reestablish the means to avoid errors of judgment, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Joe Biden on Thursday morning, in his first call since the US president took office on January 20. .
Cooperation is the only right option for both parties, Xi said, according to a report by state broadcaster CCTV. China-US cooperation can achieve many wonderful things, while the confrontation will definitely be a disaster for both countries and the world, he said.
The readings from Beijing and Washington indicated firm positions but also room for cooperation.
“President Biden underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive and unjust economic practices, the crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan,” said the White House.
The two also exchanged views on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and the shared challenges of global health security, climate change and preventing the proliferation of weapons, he added.
Practical compromise
But President Biden has also “pledged to pursue practical, results-oriented compromises when advancing the interests of the American people and our allies.”
Just hours before the long-awaited call, Biden ordered a Department of Defense (DOD) review to “provide a baseline assessment of the department’s policies, programs and processes with respect to the challenge posed by China.”
Mr. Ely Ratner, Special Assistant to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, will lead the four-month task force to develop recommendations for senior defense leaders.
The CCTV report of the conversation between the two leaders said President Xi told President Biden that the two countries “should work together and meet halfway.”
‘Treat each other as equals’
While China and the United States will have different views on some issues, the key is to respect each other, treat each other as equals, and properly manage and handle differences constructively, reportedly, Xi said.
But issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang are China’s internal affairs, related to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the United States must “respect China’s fundamental interests and act with caution,” he said.
In Washington, Ryan Hass, Senior Foreign Policy Fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asian Policy Studies, tweeted: “President Biden is setting a clear tone: dealing with issues head-on, recognizing the competitive nature of the relationship, working determinedly to advance America’s interests. “
Earlier on Wednesday in Washington, President Biden visited the Department of Defense where he announced the task force, which he said would draw on civilian and military experts and recommend “key priorities and decision points.”
“It will require a government effort, bipartisan cooperation in Congress, and strong alliances and partnerships. This is how we will meet the challenge of China and ensure that the American people win the competition of the future, “said President Biden.
Workgroup
The DOD in its announcement of the task force said: “China is seeking to reverse the current rules-based structure, which has benefited all nations in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States and its allies seek to continue the free and open environment in the region. China is using all elements of national power to bend nations to its will. “
He added: “The United States is conducting freedom of navigation operations to ensure that all nations can use international waterways and air routes. The United States is working with allies to improve surveillance of national borders and exclusive economic zones to ensure sovereignty.
“Countering Chinese efforts is the focus of the task force.”
After the call, Bonnie Glaser, Senior Adviser for Asia and Director of the China Energy Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, tweeted: “President Biden sends a clear message to Xi Jinping.”
“The United States has a lot of concerns about Chinese policies,” he said. “(Mr. Biden) is committed to advancing the interests of the American people and those of our allies. Cooperation is possible where interests intersect. There is no room for misunderstandings. “
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