Biden stressed in his press conference, “We do not want to separate from China. We are trying to reduce the risks and we want to diversify our relations with Beijing.”
He added that the G7 nations have never been more united in “standing together against (Chinese) economic coercion and rejecting (Chinese) political moves that harm our workers.”
According to the US president’s forecast, there may be a “thaw very soon” in the frozen US-China relations.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have been affected after an incident earlier this year ended with the US shooting down a Chinese spy balloon. The balloon flew over the country and even over heavily protected military areas. Because of this, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken unexpectedly postponed his scheduled visit to Beijing in February.
“We need a telephone hotline,” Biden declared, adding that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to keep communication channels open between the two countries at last year’s G-20 summit in Indonesia, but everything changed radically after his appearance. This stupid balloon that carried two containers of spy gear.”
After Biden’s press conference, but before his trip home, he again hinted to reporters that US-China relations might improve soon.
Regarding tensions between China and Taiwan, Biden said: There is complete agreement among most of the allied countries that if China decides to take some reckless action against Taiwan, it will lead to an immediate response from it.
“We will not tell China what it can and cannot do,” the US president said.
But we are creating a situation for Taiwan to be able to defend itself if it is appropriate
he added.
However, Biden stated that the United States continues to maintain the “one China” policy, according to which the government in Beijing is the legitimate leadership of China.
Taiwanese President Tsai Jing-wen stressed Saturday that they want to maintain the current peaceful and stable situation in the Taiwan Strait by all possible means, despite the serious political and military tension between Taipei and Beijing.
Biden also said the United States and its G7 allies would not sell China equipment that could help it produce weapons of mass destruction, but added that this was “not a hostile move” on their part. He said it is not currently considering easing restrictions on such assets against China. He confirmed that they are in talks with Beijing to ease US sanctions against Chinese General Li Sangfu. Because the general, who was subjected to sanctions, was appointed Minister of Defense in the Chinese government in March.
COVER PHOTO: US President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference following the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan on May 21, 2023. Source: Getty Images
