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| Photo Credit: AP. |
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned U.S. President Joe Biden Thursday not to play with fire over growing Taiwan tensions saying “if you play with fire you get burned,” according to the CNN.
The comments came amid tension over plans by House Speaker Nancy to visit Taiwan which China sees as part of its territory.
Face to Face meeting: Xi and Biden
Both leaders
agreed to begin arrangement for their first face-to-face summit but fears over
corona virus remains as well as on key issues such as climate change. Discussions also focused on the war in Ukraine
and economic competition.
During the
two-hour long and 17 minute phone all, President Xi did not mince words on the hotly
debated Taiwan question warning the U.S. President that:
"Public
opinion shall not be violated, and if you play with fire you get burned. I hope
the US side can see this clearly," he told Biden, CNN quoted China's state
news agency.
In a
statement the White House said:
"On
Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not
changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to
change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan
Strait," a US readout read, according to CNN.
U.S. downplays Xi's "playing with fire" over Taiwan comment
A senior US
administration official described the Taiwan discussion as "direct and
honest" but downplayed Xi's warning, suggesting it was standard for the
Chinese leader to warn about the risks of "playing with fire," CNN
reported.
"This
is the kind of relationship-tending that President Biden believes strongly in
doing, even with nations with which you might have significant
differences," communications coordinator for the National Security Council
John Kirby said this week, according to CNN.
The Trump
administration had imposed severe duties on certain categories of Chinese goods
in response to unfair trade practices of Beijing.
China increasing military assertiveness
China has
increased its military buildup in the South China Sea and has carried out a
number of incursions into Taiwanese airspace in recent times.
The Chinese
military has warned it would not sit idly by following plans by Speaker Nancy
Pelosi to visit Taipei. The speaker is yet to confirm her visit but the visit
comes at a time of growing tensions between China and the West.
Top Republican supports Pelosi's visit to Taiwan
On Tuesday Senate
Minority leader Mitch McConnell told Pelosi not to bow to threats from China
over her reported trip to Taiwan. McConnell said Pelosi would hand China a win
if she backs down from her plans to visit the Island, The Washington Times
reports.
The Kentucky Republican said the U.S. should not bow to Beijing’s saber-rattling.
“If she
doesn’t go now, she’s handling China a sort of a victory of sorts,” Mr.
McConnell told reporters Tuesday, according to The Washington Times.
The Senator
called on the Biden administration to ensure Taiwan has the arms need to meet
“the threat they might actually have to endure.”
China had
warned the United States of “consequences” if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi goes
ahead with an alleged plan to visit Taiwan, an Island claimed by Beijing under
its one China policy.