Taiwan is the main problem for Xi Jinping-Joe Biden talks, Chinese observers say

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said ‘political preparations’ were needed for the next phase of exchanges, in a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken

According to observers he was mostly referring to controlling tensions over Taiwan to create the conditions for the two leaders to meet

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Xi Jinping and Joe Biden are expected to hold talks before the end of the year. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:00pm, 1 Nov 2021Updated: 12:36am, 2 Nov 2021

Beijing and Washington need to manage their tensions over Taiwan to create the conditions needed for Xi Jinping and Joe Biden to meet, according to Chinese observers.

That was the assessment after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met for talks in Rome on Sunday, with Wang saying engaging in dialogue was an “urgent task” for the two nations to avoid further confrontation. He said that was the consensus when Chinese leader Xi and US President Biden spoke by phone in September.

“The two sides must earnestly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and make political preparations and provide necessary conditions for the next phase of exchanges,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

Wang was in Rome as Xi’s special envoy at the Group of 20 summit, which the Chinese president attended via video link.

In their meeting, Blinken “underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China”, according to a statement from the US State Department.

Blinken also raised concerns about Chinese actions that “undermine the international rules-based order”, including those related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East and South China seas, and Taiwan.

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