The White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will speak by phone in the coming weeks in an effort to improve relations between the two superpowers. This announcement came after national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s two-day talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Both sides had candid and constructive discussions on various bilateral, regional, and global issues. Plans for a leader-level call and a call between military theater commanders were also discussed.
Tensions between the U.S. and China are strained by various issues such as tech and trade restrictions, Beijing’s support for Russia in Ukraine, tensions in the South China Sea, and the status of Taiwan. The Biden administration aims to responsibly manage competition with China while seeking areas for cooperation like climate change and counternarcotics efforts. Sullivan and Wang have had a series of backchannel meetings in various locations including Vienna, Malta, and Bangkok to stabilize the bilateral relationship.
Biden and Xi have only spoken once by phone since November, with few opportunities left for further interactions before Biden leaves office. Agreements reached in their November talks on counternarcotics, military communications, and artificial intelligence safety were discussed during Sullivan and Wang’s meeting. Plans for a second round of U.S.-China talks on artificial intelligence, cooperation on repatriation of migrants, and climate change were also mentioned.
The White House mentioned an upcoming trip to China by John Podesta, the new U.S. climate envoy, but did not specify a date. Both countries are the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters.
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