US-China confrontation would be ‘disaster’, Xi Jinping tells Joe Biden in first call

Name: US-China confrontation would be ‘disaster’, Xi says in first phone call with Biden
Uploaded: 2021-02-11T02:19:56.000Z
Duration: 54 s
Description: US-China confrontation would be ‘disaster’, Xi says in first phone call with Biden

White House says Biden raised trade, human rights and Indo-Pacific region in first call to Beijing since his inauguration

Leaders exchange Lunar New Year greetings in goodwill call aimed at reshaping US-China relations

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden had their first phone conversation on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua, Bloomberg

Wendy Wuin Beijing,Sarah Zhengin Hong KongandTeddy Ngin Hong Kong

Published: 10:19am, 11 Feb 2021Updated: 10:59am, 18 Feb 2021

US President Joe Biden had a first phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday, in a goodwill gesture to begin the process of reshaping China-US relations after four years of drastic deterioration.

The call, held on the eve of the Lunar New Year, revealed the gulf of tensions lingering between the major powers, as Biden pressed Xi on issues of trade, human rights and the Indo-Pacific region. Xi pushed back, describing Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang as China’s “internal affairs”, and called for the resumption of dialogue between the countries, according to statements from both sides.

“Cooperation is the only correct choice for the two nations. Cooperation can help the two nations and the world to accomplish big things, while confrontation is definitely a disaster,” Xi was quoted as saying by state-run news agency Xinhua.

“China and US will have different views on certain issues, and it is important for them to treat each other with respect and equally, and properly manage the differences in constructive manner,” he added.

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US-China confrontation would be ‘disaster’, Xi says in first phone call with Biden

Xi said a resumption of dialogue was needed to avoid misjudgments and to differentiate those disputes which could be contained. He called on Washington to be cautious in its handling of issues related to China’s sovereignty.