US-China relations: Joe Biden has ‘no reason not to call’ Xi Jinping – but setting it up is proving harder than some expected
- Biden told CBS on Sunday that Xi has been ‘sending signals’ and knows he will not follow Donald Trump’s approach
- But tensions are likely to continue between the two countries, and one Chinese government adviser says both leaders know that ‘things have changed a lot’
China and the US are still searching for a right opportunity for their presidents to have their first phone conversation since Joe Biden’s election victory as the two sides look to reshape their complicated relationship.
But both sides have kept expectations low and few believe that the call, if it happens, will herald a quick turnaround.
Talks on setting up the conversation have proved more difficult than some people initially anticipated, according to Chinese observers, reflecting the huge gaps that are driving the world’s two largest economies further apart.
In an interview with CBS that was aired on Sunday, Biden said they still “haven’t had occasion to talk to one another yet”, but he added that “there’s no reason not to call” Xi Jinping.
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US President Joe Biden foresees ‘extreme competition’ with China
It is understood that both sides initially considered Lunar New Year, which is less than a week away, as a possible early opportunity to break the ice, but the chances of that happening is now fading, according to a source on the Chinese side.