Biden Talks to Xi About Conflicts, From Ukraine to the Pacific

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in a call Tuesday morning that was aimed at addressing a variety of combative and cooperative issues, as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises, U.S. and Chinese officials said.

The topics raised by Biden included fighting narcotics production, the Middle East conflict, North Korea’s nuclear program and China’s support of Russia during the Ukraine war, according to a White House summary of the call.

Biden intended the talk to be a “check-in” rather than a discussion with concrete outcomes, said a senior administration official, who spoke to a small group of reporters Monday night on the condition of anonymity, as is customary for such Washington briefings. But it was a crucial marker during a pivotal political year and as the countries try to steady a relationship that hit a multi-decade low last year.

John Kirby, a White House national security spokesperson, said Tuesday that the two leaders had a “candid and constructive” conversation, which he said also included the topics of unfair trade policies, wrongfully detained U.S. citizens and TikTok.

“We believe that there is no substitute for regular communication at the leader level to effectively manage this complex, and often tense bilateral relationship,” Kirby said. “Both presidents agreed: Pick up the phone and speak when needed.”

The call took place days before a trip to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who will be followed soon afterward by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the official said.

Biden raised two issues over China’s aggression in the Pacific: Taiwan and the South China Sea, according to the White House summary.

The Biden administration has warned China to rein in its coast guard ships, which have been firing water cannons at Philippine resupply ships in a contested area of the South China Sea. And the United States has said the Chinese military is using jets and ships in a provocative manner near Taiwan, the de facto independent island whose status is the biggest flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.

During the call, Xi “stressed that the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations,” according to a description of the call released by the Chinese government. Xi called for “concrete actions” from the United States to demonstrate a commitment not to support Taiwan’s independence, the description said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times .