Chinese President Xi Jinping has cautioned US President Joe Biden about the arming of Taiwan during a summit, although he agreed to resume high-level military-to-military discussions, as confirmed by Beijing on Thursday. According to China’s foreign ministry, Xi urged Biden to cease providing weapons to Taiwan and to endorse China’s peaceful reunification efforts. Xi asserted that China will inevitably achieve reunification with Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing intends to reclaim in the future. Despite their differences, the two leaders agreed to restart military communication based on equality and respect, which had been suspended since August 2020 due to Beijing’s response to a visit by Nancy Pelosi, the former US House Speaker, to Taiwan. Additionally, the leaders decided to establish joint government talks on artificial intelligence and a working group on counternarcotics cooperation. They also pledged to enhance collaboration on climate change and coordinate efforts leading up to the COP28 summit in Dubai this month. Xi emphasized that China does not seek to surpass or replace the United States but warned against attempts to suppress or contain China. He expressed China’s dissatisfaction with US sanctions and other measures against Chinese companies, stating that such actions harm China’s legitimate interests and hinder its scientific and technological progress. Xi concluded by asserting that China’s development cannot be hindered by external forces.
Xi Jinping warns Biden against arming Taiwan, pledges to resume military discussions
