President Biden spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping Tuesday about “areas of cooperation and areas of difference,” including Beijing’s aggression toward Taiwan and support for Russia’s defense industrial base as the Western world punishes Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, according to the White House.
The leaders wanted to follow up on a November summit in California when the countries agreed to cooperate on stemming the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to Mexico and discussed the risks from artificial intelligence, plus the need for military-to-military communication.
The discussion regarding Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province, involved China’s moves in the South China Sea.
Also, Mr. Biden “raised concerns over” how China’s backing of Russia’s military machine affects trans-Atlantic security, “and he emphasized the United States’ enduring commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” a White House readout of the call said.
Further, Mr. Biden warned Mr. Xi not to engage in unfair trade practices that undercut American workers or U.S. security.
Many worry that the Chinese steal intellectual property from U.S. entities to create their own products and profits. On top of that, Congress is debating whether to ban TikTok, a video-sharing app owned by a Chinese company, because of data harvesting and infringing on Americans’ privacy.
“The president emphasized that the United States will continue to take necessary actions to prevent advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security, without unduly limiting trade and investment,” the White House said.
China is viewed as America’s top geopolitical rival, so relations with the Asian superpower will be featured in Mr. Biden’s rematch this year with former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee.
Mr. Biden has characterized the U.S.-China relationship as one of competition and not animosity, opening himself to criticism that he isn’t tough enough on Beijing or clear on how the U.S. would handle a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Mr. Trump, meanwhile, has promised to wield punishing tariffs against Chinese imports to achieve reciprocal trade.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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