BEIJING – US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended a phone call on Thursday with plans to hold a face-to-face meeting for the first time since Biden took office, a senior US official said at a briefing.
However, Xi remained tight-lipped on Taiwan, while Biden said the US position had not changed, according to official figures from the US and Chinese governments.
The data did not mention plans for a face-to-face meeting, but noted a plan by both parties to maintain communication. The American representative informed the journalists after the phone call.
“At the end, there was an exchange of views about … a conversation about a face-to-face meeting between the teams,” the official said, according to a White House transcript. “From my perspective, a very clear, positive agenda was presented and approved.”
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The two leaders’ latest conversation came during a tense period between their countries, particularly over recent rhetoric surrounding Taiwan. Beijing considers the democratically self-governing island part of its territory.
“That the call took place is mildly positive and shows that both leaders want to keep a floor under deteriorating bilateral relations,” Eurasia Group analysts said in a note. “Any future halt in top-level dialogue between the US and China would be a negative sign for global stability.”
“Si did not escalate China’s threats, but appeared to indirectly warn that Pelosi’s trip could fuel Chinese nationalism,” the report said.