Biden Will Speak With Xi on Thursday as US-China Ties Worsen
- Tensions have risen over possible Pelosi visit to Taiwan
- Biden considering lifting some tariffs imposed by Trump
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping
Source: Bloomberg
By
Jenny Leonard
July 26, 2022 at 5:21 PM CDT
President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday amid fresh tensions over Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter.
The first conversation between the two presidents since March will take place at a particularly difficult juncture for US-China ties: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s staff and security officials
aren’t ruling out plans for her to visit Taiwan in early August.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Monday that Beijing was getting “
seriously prepared” for the possibility that Pelosi could visit the the self-governing island, which China considers part of its territory.
US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said in June that relations with China have deteriorated to probably “the lowest moment” since diplomatic relations resumed
in 1972. Biden, who is recovering from the coronavirus at the White House, also is considering whether to lift some tariffs on Chinese imports in a bid to stem rampant inflation.
No final decision has been made about stopping in Taiwan during Pelosi’s trip to Asia next month, according to a person familiar with the details. Pelosi would be the first sitting speaker since Newt Gingrich to visit the island.
Beijing immediately vowed to take “resolute and strong” measures in response and warned of a “grave impact” on bilateral relations should Pelosi go ahead with the trip. China also privately warned the Biden administration of a possible military response, the Financial Times reported.
“All the ensuing consequences shall be borne by the US side,” Zhao said.
Still, lawmakers in both parties encouraging Pelosi to make the trip, saying not doing so following China’s protestations would amount to caving to Beijing.
Read more: Pelosi’s Peers Offer Don’t-Cave-to-China Advice Over Taiwan Stop
“If we can allow the Chinese to dictate who can visit Taiwan and who cannot, then we have already ceded Taiwan to the Chinese,” said Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, who made his own trip to Taiwan in April.
Biden told reporters last week that the US military didn’t think Pelosi’s trip was a good idea, prompting
consternation in Taiwan. It’s not clear if Pelosi, at the request of intelligence and defense officials, will decide against the trip.
Biden
provoked China in May with a vow to defend Taiwan militarily. After saying that US policy on Taiwan “had not changed at all” during a news conference in Tokyo, he then answered “yes” when asked if the US would act “militarily” to defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack.
White House officials later walked back the remark, saying the president was only promising US aid to help Taiwan defend itself in the event of hostilities.
Read more: Here’s How China Might Respond to a Taiwan Visit by Nancy Pelosi
US officials have stressed that the Xi call would be a continuation of the Biden administration’s efforts to maintain open lines of communication to ensure the relationship doesn’t veer into unintended conflict.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Tuesday that the session would include a robust agenda, though tariffs are not likely to be among the issues.
“I wouldn’t think it would be a major topic of discussion with President Xi unless or until he makes a decision,” Kirby said of the duties. The two will talk about tensions over Taiwan and ways to manage the competition between the two largest economies, he said.
The White House has threatened consequences for Beijing should China aid Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war in Ukraine. So far, US officials said they haven’t seen anything that would amount to material support.
US Tariffs
Biden’s aides say he’s close to a decision on whether to scrap some of the tariffs former President Donald Trump imposed on roughly $350 billion in Chinese imports.
Some advisers have pushed for the move to help ease inflation that’s running at a four-decade high. Others, including labor unions, argue it would have little impact on price pressures and give up leverage in talks with Beijing.
Biden has repeatedly pledged to be the most pro-union president in US history, and Democrats are counting on labor support in November midterm elections that will determine whether the party retains control of Congress.
“The president is still thinking about it,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “You know, this is a big decision.”
Xi sent Biden a note last week wishing him a speedy recovery from Covid-19. The Chinese Communist Party is set to hold its national gathering this fall that’s expected to hand Xi a precedent-defying third term.
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