US President Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping had their first highly anticipated phone call this past week. It was the first official conversation the two leaders have had since Biden’s inauguration last month.
Biden announced that their conversation lasted for two hours, which allowed them to discuss a wide range of topics. These mainly include military and economic affairs, while also focusing on areas which require cooperation such as nuclear proliferation and climate change.
The US President also directly addressed China’s infamous use of technology, hostility towards Hong Kong, unfair trade practices and human rights abuses regarding Uighurs.
For political opponents who have criticised Biden’s approach towards China as weak or soft, it has become quite hard to find fault with it in this regard since he has now established a Department of Defence task force which specifically focuses on the US strategic approach towards China.
Furthermore, the Biden Administration has still continued the trade tariffs imposed on China, which were implemented by the Trump team.