During a four-hour meeting on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized to U.S. President Joe Biden that Taiwan is the most significant and dangerous issue in U.S.-China relations, according to a senior U.S. official. Xi expressed China’s preference for a peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but also discussed circumstances in which force could be used.
The official clarified that Xi’s intention was to convey that China is not preparing for a large-scale invasion of Taiwan. However, the U.S. remains steadfast in its approach towards the matter.
The senior U.S. official stated, “President Xi…underscored that this was the biggest, most potentially dangerous issue in U.S.-China relations, laid out clearly that, you know, their preference was for peaceful reunification but then moved immediately to conditions that the potential use of force could be utilized,” referring to Xi’s comments on Taiwan.
In response, Biden assured Xi that the United States is committed to maintaining peace in the region. The official added, “President Biden responded very clearly that the long-standing position of the United States was…determination to maintain peace and stability.”
The meeting between Biden and Xi aimed to alleviate tensions between the two superpowers regarding military conflicts, drug-trafficking, and artificial intelligence. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the progress made.
China has escalated its military activities to pressure Taiwan into accepting Beijing’s sovereignty, despite strong objections from the Taiwanese government. Senior U.S. military officers have claimed that Xi has instructed the People’s Liberation Army to be prepared for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027. Although Beijing has not explicitly ruled out the use of force, it has not disclosed any specifics about war preparations.
The meeting was reported by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jeff Mason, with writing by Andrea Shalal, and editing by Sandra Maler and Stephen Coates.
